


Nomad Odyssey: Part 1

by Joester264



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Halo Fusion, Asari - Freeform, Asari Characters, Brute - Freeform, Crossover, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Human-Covenant War, Humor, Mother-Daughter Relationship, ODST Orbital Drop Shock Trooper(s), Quarian, References to Halo (Video Games), References to Shepard (Mass Effect)'s Death, SPARTAN-III, Sangheili - Freeform, Sea Temple, The Banished, Turian, UNSC, Unggoy, prowler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 68,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25352518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joester264/pseuds/Joester264
Summary: A research outpost on the UNSC world of Sidney-III is attacked by the pro-human organization known as Cerberus. Spartan Fireteam Saber, along with Spec-Ops Commander Iden Versio, ODST Captain Rex, and Medical Officer Lexi T'Perro, are sent in to intercept and recover a stolen egg from the labs. A young woman known as May Haruka gets roped in with the soldiers once the egg hatches and the creature known as the Manaphy imprints on her. The mötley crew must now evade Cerberus forces and solve the mystery of what makes the Manaphy so valuable. They will travel to forgotten parts of the galaxy, fight cunning enemies, and put their trust in each other.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *CROSSOVER between Halo and Mass Effect, with characters from Star Wars, and AC Odyssey*

This is Spartan-264. I am recording this entry just in case I die and someone finds this on my corpse, for posterity, I guess. Hopefully it’s not too gruesome. Anyway, things have been crazy lately, and coming from a Spartan-III, that’s saying something. When this all started I didn’t think I’d be stuck on a Halo, surrounded by hordes of enemies, defending a creature that had been made by the Forerunners… I’m getting ahead of myself. I mean, where do I even begin without telling the whole story? I’ve got the time; might as well use it. Okay, here’s where it all began.

December 8, 2187: a day that I will not soon forget. It started like any other day on a Charon-class frigate: with the crew waking me up. Not on purpose; they’d walk by, talking, laughing, or just taking heavy footsteps. Some days, I’d be okay with the sounds of the crew. That day, however, wasn’t one of them. We had just come back from a rather difficult mission on a planet in the middle of nowhere, fighting off Banished forces. The Banished, the galaxy’s latest alien scourge, was trying to set up supply lines on H4-11. The planet didn’t even have a real name--just a string of numbers. We busted our backs trying to keep it clear, slowly taking enemy fortifications, and after three weeks we finally pushed the Banished off it, but they didn’t give it up without a fight. They threw everything they had at us: Ghosts, Banshees, Wraiths, Blisterbacks, and even Scarab walkers. Saber and I had to board them and destroy the hulking monsters from the inside. On top of that, artillery kept striking at us, forcing us to keep moving from one muddy foxhole to the next. When we finally pushed them off H4-11, Saber and I were struggling to even stay on our feet.  
I tossed around in my bunk, putting a pillow over my head to try to deafen the laughter of a rowdy serviceman. Spartans rarely got more than a few hours of sleep when on the front. When we do get a chance to sleep longer, it’s always ruined either by an alarm or by a sailor who didn’t know when to shut up.  
I tried to fall back into that sweet state of unconsciousness, but by the time I could feel myself drifting off, a sharp banging on the door snapped me out of it.  
“Saber, up and at ‘em,” a voice barked.  
I let out a long sigh, running my face over my hands.  
“Come on, Rex. Five more minutes.”  
Captain Cody Rex, the commanding officer of the 501st Marine Battalion, was one of those who liked starting the day early. Saber was placed under his command about four months ago. Unlike most marine captains I knew, Rex cared about his men. He knew he couldn’t save all of them, and he even sent his men to certain death. However, unlike other officers I served with, Rex made sacrifices to protect his men, risking his own life so that others might have time to make an escape. That selfless and caring attitude earned the loyalty of those under his command, including Saber.  
Bryn, who slept in the bunk under me, yawned.  
“Rex, I am not getting out of this bunk until I’m good and ready.”  
There was another series of thumps on the door.  
“Saber, you have one minute to get your genetically-enhanced butts out here, move it. Commander Versio needs to see you.”  
Sam let out a small groan as he rolled out of his bunk on the other side of the room. Paul, who was above him, sat up, shaking his head.  
“Just once, I’d like to sleep in for a good hour. Is that too much to ask?”  
Sam threw his pillow at Paul. The pad slammed into the wall, missing him.  
“You sleep every chance you get! How many times have you dozed off on the Pelican?”  
Paul tossed the pillow back at Sam and hit him on the head with pinpoint accuracy, once again showing why he was the team marksman.  
Bryn, still refusing to get up, growled.  
“What does the Commander want? Spent the last few weeks on a mud planet, getting bombarded by bloody Brutes in the pouring rain while getting shot in the face. All I want is to rest for a little bit more.”  
I climbed out of my bunk and stood over her.  
“Get up, Spartan. You’ve survived worse.”  
Bryn might’ve been reluctant to listen to Rex’s wake-up call, but she didn’t hesitate when it came to my orders. She sat up and got on her feet, then went over to her footlocker and grabbed a shirt to put over her tank top.  
I reached into my own locker and pulled out a UNSC cap. It was a faded dark gray hat that had signs of being worn too often. I wore it every time I was off duty; I liked it. It was kind of like a stuffed animal to a young child because I took it everywhere with me. Even when I was on the frontlines, or behind enemy territory, I had that hat safely tucked away in my bag. I didn’t think of it as a good luck charm; I know better than to rely on luck when taking cover behind a crumbling barrier as plasma rounds flew way too close for comfort. I just thought of it as something that was mine that wasn’t made to kill something.  
I fixed the hat on to my head as the third set of knocks sounded from the door.  
“Thirty seconds, Spartans.”  
Bryn let out a long frustrated sigh.  
“For crying out loud, we’re coming!”  
There was a muffled chuckle from the captain, obviously enjoying teasing us.  
Sam went up to Bryn and ruffled her hair, apparently trying to cheer her up. Bryn pushed his hand away, not wanting her hair touched right now.

Rex was still waiting outside the door, arms folded behind his back. His hair was a buzz cut of blonde and was stern looking. He was in his pressed fatigues, hands behind his back. Usually, when he came directly to us, something important was about to go down. Not even a full day has passed since we got back from the front and Saber was already getting sent back out.  
“What suicide mission you got for us this time?”  
Rex smirked a little, so I guess the mission lined up for us wasn’t going to be damn near impossible. Then, that smirk went away.  
“It’s best if I let the commander tell you.”  
He gestured to us to follow him down the hallway wanting to get things underway immediately.  
As we followed him, some of the crew greeted us. An engineer named Devous held a fist up to us.  
“Ah, mon amis, good morning, eh?”  
Sam pounded Devous’ fist with his own, and the five of us continued down the halls towards a briefing room. Most of the Apache crew knew us, even with our time on the ship being less than a year. They'd say good morning to us or ask how many kills we had in total. It was nice to be starting to fit in on the frigate. All the marines stationed on the ship knew that they could depend on Saber with their lives.  
“Ah! Spartans!” A voice cried out behind us. The four of us turned to see who it was, but judging from the Swiss accent, it was highly probable that it was the chief medical officer: Angela Ziegler. She headed towards us, sidestepping out of the way of some technicians on their way to the lower decks. When Ziegler caught up to us, she had a radiating smile.  
“There you are! I have some good news.”  
Rex gave Ziegler an annoyed look, eager to get us to Commander Versio.  
“Can’t this wait, Ziegler? I’ve got to get the Spartans to the commander.”  
The doctor brought up her datapad, finger swiping across it very quickly as she pulled up what she wanted us to see.  
“This won’t take long, Captain. I promise.”  
Ziegler then handed the data pad to me. I looked on its screen to see what the big deal was. On it was the headline, “Spartan Heroes Push Back Invading Forces!”  
It was an article by a war reporter stationed on H4-11 during the fighting. Below the headline was a picture of Bryn, Paul, Sam, and I running across the battlefield, weapons firing. Plumes of mud that were due to the mortars going off around us seemed to frame the picture well.  
I gave a quick nod.  
“Wow. Guess we’re heroes.”  
The doctor chuckled, appreciative that I saw the article.  
Rex cleared his throat.  
“Spartans?”  
I handed the pad back to Ziegler.  
“Thanks for showing me that, doc! See you around.”  
She waved back. “A pleasure as always, Spartan!”

Rex took us to the briefing room, the particular place where we’d received details on new missions. Inside was a long table and five chairs that surrounded it. The room was dark as space itself, and the only light came from one lamp that hung over the table. At the end of the table the Apache’s commanding officer: Iden Versio, looking stoic and unwavering. She was a former spec-ops operative that focused on covertly taking down threats to the UNSC through space and ground combat. Versio was also adept in assassination, infiltration, sabotage, and piloting any vehicle known in the galaxy. She was even a prime candidate for the Spartan-IV program, which she politely declined.  
“Have a seat, Spartans; we don’t have much time. Rex, you might as well listen in on this too.”  
There was someone else in the room as well. Sitting next to Versio was Lexi T’Perro, another doctor stationed on the frigate. T’Perro was the only non-human on board: she was an Asari. When the asari started joining the UNSC armed forces a couple of years ago, there was somewhat of an indifference towards them posted in the navy, since they weren’t human. Most of the time, they’d be stationed in non-critical roles: gun crewman, hangar technician, and even maintenance. Now, any asari who had naval experience from the Asari Republics got positioned for work in critical fleets; they were top-notch strategists and years of being able to keep calm in a ship-to-ship battle. Lexi had been a doctor for about ten years when she joined the UNSC, and thanks to her knowledge of procedures for almost every advanced species in the galaxy, she became a real asset to the Apache, and a good friend. She would always make sure we were doing okay, checking our wounds and even invite us to watch her favorite vid-series, Blue’s Anatomy, with her.  
Lexi, just like Rex and Versio, looked grave. I had questions, but I knew they were about to be answered in only a few minutes.  
The commander stood up, her dark hair tied into a bun, and let out a long sigh. “Almost twelve hours ago, a UNSC research outpost located on Sidney III was raided. Everyone--the scientists, security, and even the custodial staff--was slaughtered.”  
That explained the grim expressions that they had on.  
“Security camera footage revealed the assailants as Cerberus. At 23:40 local time, they detonated a charge on the front gate and moved in. A few minutes later, Doctor Cory Peterson sent out this transmission.”  
Static played over speakers in the room as the now late Doctor breathlessly called for help.  
“This is Outpost Triton of Sidney III! A Cerberus assault team is attacking us! They’re in the labs now, grabbing all of our research! They must be after what we found in the Marx Ocean! If anyone can hear me, please send...”  
A series of gunshots cut him off, and the static silenced. The commander activated a holoprojector and pulled up images of the aftermath of the assault. The dome-shaped building of the outpost had a giant hole in the roof with smoke pouring out of it. One picture showed the carnage inside: bodies in the hallway with pools of red underneath them. One of the soldiers who had been investigating the attack had blood soaking his feet. Rooms had been riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks.  
“What did they find that provoked Cerberus into this attack,” I asked.  
Versio typed on the control board for the projector, bringing up an image of a small, egg-shaped, blue object. In the center of it, there was a little red gem, with a circle of smaller gold balls above it, almost like an angel’s halo.  
“This was what the scientists dredged out of the Marx. They weren’t sure of what it was, only that it was organic. I guess it was worth killing over for Cerberus.”  
Bryn grunted, “So, we’re gonna track down the bastards that attacked the outpost?”  
The commander once again typed on the console,“ONI operatives, who responded quickly to the distress signal, were able to find a Cerberus convoy moving on old logging roads that aren’t being used anymore.”  
Three white armored trucks with gold stripes were displayed, as well as two APCs with mounted cannons.  
“They’ve figured out where Cerberus is heading--an extraction point. A stealth frigate was their ride out, but thanks to Anti-Orbital Defences, that frigate is now slag. The Cerberus convoy, however, does not know that they’re stuck on Sidney III. Your job, Spartans, is simple: ambush the convoy and retrieve the package. Leave no witnesses.”  
I looked to my team , and they all had a cold determination on their faces. Jobs like these were what we trained to do. For us, this was why we were valued resources. Anyone who screws with the UNSC gets what they deserve--a quick, yet powerful, kick in the balls.  
I looked back to the commander and gave the nod. “We’ll take care of them, ma’am.”  
Rex stepped forward. “How could Cerberus have landed a whole convoy without alerting our scanners?”  
“Technicians planetside discovered some sabotage in the capital of New Oceanside. One of the workers had been bribed to disable the scanners so that the frigate could land the assault force. Thankfully, the systems were restored and that worker was arrested.”  
Lexi shook her head in disgust, “I hope that worker gets what’s coming to him.”  
The commander turned off the projector, then put her arms behind her back again. “As Sidney III’s governor wants as little military force present in apprehending Cerberus, we’ll be taking a Prowler stealth corvette to our destination.”  
Saber and I looked at each other. We?  
“You’re coming with us, Commander?”  
She nodded, “As well as Rex and Lexi. We’re not going to be traveling by Pelican; that’ll take too long. Our ride will be the UNSC Nomad. Captain Fawkes was kind enough to lend us his girl, and he’ll be watching over ours. Now everyone grab your gear; we leave in one hour.”  
At 0945, Saber, Captain Cody Rex, Doctor Lexi T’Perro, Commander Iden Versio, and I entered the Prowler and disembarked on our mission for retribution.


	2. Chapter 2

The Nomad was a smaller ship compared to the other vessels I’ve seen in my time. She was so little that it would only take the commander to pilot her. Virtual Intelligence operated basic maintenance and engineering. That meant the rest of us just sat around and waited.  
It took about twelve hours to reach Sidney III, but ONI had captured the Cerberus vessel’s captain from an escape pod and ‘persuaded’ him to tell the convoy to extract at a new location--the Sanctuary Woods. The forest was thick with conifers, making it a fantastic place for an ambush.  
This was the plan: As the convoy would come through, Sam would roll under and place an emp charge on the lead truck, causing it to halt the others. When the Cerberus forces come out to see what the problem was, Paul, Bryn, and I would catch them in a crossfire. Rex would be staying back to pick off any survivors who somehow managed to escape our hail of bullets. When all hostiles are down, we’d move in, grab the package, and bang out. In my mind, this was a textbook example of Spartan-III ops.

The Nomad settled down in a clearing, about five miles south from the road we’d be attacking. I looked out one of the viewports and saw only trees carpeting the landscape. There was an eerie fog that crept through the woods like a phantom. The sky was a depressing gray, due for the overcast weather. In the corner of my eye, I saw a flock of birds skim the treetops, then land in one of them.  
Lexi stood next to me and shivered. “This looks like a scene from a cheap horror movie.”  
I nodded in agreement. “Wouldn’t be surprised if there were a couple of werewolves running around out there.”  
“Or an ardat-yakshi. I watched a vid that had one roaming the woods looking for lost souls to feed on.”  
“Was it any good?”  
Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, it had a good story, but I feel like the scenes that were meant to frighten the audience lacked the surprise element. You could see the scare scenes coming from a mile away.”  
A hand grabbed Lexi’s shoulder, making her let out a startled yell. I turned to see that Sam had crept up behind us and given Lexi a good scare. Sam started to laugh, breathlessly trying to say, “Did you see that coming?”  
The Asari quickly became furious, folding her arms as her face grew purple with rage. “We’ll see who’s laughing when I shove the dullest needle I have up your...”  
“It’s no use, Lexi,” I said, trying to prevent an incident, “that’s just going to encourage him.”  
She let out a frustrated growl and stomped off towards the medical bay.  
Sam threw up his hands. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t miss that opportunity. It was just too good.”  
I smiled. “I’ll admit, she did scream like a schoolgirl.”  
“I heard that!” Lexi yelled before entering the med-bay.  
Sam let out a small chuckle, satisfied with his work. “Ah, she’ll be fine.”  
Almost instantly, Commander Versio called all of us into the mess hall to discuss the fine details of the little ‘surprise’ that we had cooking for the Cerberus convoy. Sam and I just watched as the doctor made it very clear she was still pissed when we walked past her towards the meeting.

We all gathered around a table, everyone eager to get things going. The commander gave all of us a look before she started with the brief.  
“The Sanctuary Woods, although it might look that way, isn’t empty of life. There are records of predators that like to hunt at the time the mission will begin. Adding to that, be on the lookout for any antelope-looking animals; they’re easily startled and prefer to fight rather than flight. The governor wishes that we don’t kill any creatures here since Sidney III has a variety of species that brings in the tourists.”  
Rex stepped forward.   
“I’ve contacted the ONI operative spying on the caravan. She says the Cerberus troops are taking a break near a river. They’re gonna be on high alert, so there’s no chance of mistakes.”   
Bryn raised her hand.   
“Have we figured out which vehicle has the package?”  
“As best as she can tell, it’s in the one in the middle. Two armed guards are watching over it with orders not to leave its side.”  
Paul smirked.  
“Just two?”  
“We also have to fight a whole platoon of soldiers.” Versio reminded him.  
Sam was looking uneasy. He had his arms folded tight across his chest, tapping his fingers against his bicep. I’ve seen that pose hundreds of times before: he didn’t like the plan.  
“Sam,” I whispered, “what is it?”  
He leaned in close to me, speaking in a hushed tone. “Cerberus is always in contact with each other during missions like this. What if they know something’s up? They might be getting ready to move out before we’re prepared.”  
I thought it over in my mind. Sam did have a point: Cerberus had a talent of sniffing out suspicious activity. I came across the idea that Cerberus might’ve already bugged out and retreated down a different road. There was only one way to be sure that we’d still get the jump on them.  
“Commander,” I said firmly, “I think it’d be wise to have two of us keeping eyes on that road just in case Cerberus decides to leave early.”  
Versio glanced at the floor, putting her fist up to her lip as she thought about it.   
Versio had once been a fighter pilot for the UNSC Navy, then was hand picked to be trained as a spec-ops squad leader that would shut down the Illusive Man’s agents in the outer colonies. She was good, real good, at her job. After a couple of years, she opted out and became a commander in the navy, due to the fact that she lost all but one of her team. She had fought against Cerberus many times and knew better than anyone how they think.  
She looked to me, “Joe, you and Paul suit up and head over there. Keep me updated on anything that screws with our plan. Understand?”  
I stood up straighter. “Yes, ma’am.”  
Little did I know that because of Sam’s gut, we’d be sent off on an odyssey in the days to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Paul and I stalked through the night, keeping ourselves low to the ground as we hiked through the forest. The temperature, according to my Heads Up Display, it was just a fraction above freezing. The night was also humid; a thick fog had now enveloped the forest, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. There were night predators out too, and their howling would deter most people. But Paul and I weren't most people.  
As we made our way through the brush, Paul froze in his tracks.  
“What is it?” I asked.  
He motioned me to get lower on the ground by making is palm flat horizontally while lowering it. I complied and got on my stomach while bringing my weapon up. I looked to Paul as he looked through the scope of his sniper rifle. He placed a finger on the trigger, but then slowly eased it off. He was more interested in what he was seeing than he was on shooting it.  
“Paul? What do you see?”  
He slowly craned his gaze towards my direction.  
“I...I think it’s a campfire.”  
I tilted my head. “A what?”  
Paul looked back through the scope to get a second look.  
“Confirmed, one campfire. And to make it more interesting, it’s right next to the road.”  
I moved up a couple of feet to see if I could spot it. In the distance, I saw a little orange dot illuminating through the night. I found that odd; this wasn’t a campground due to the wildlife in the area. The officials here didn’t want the locals disturbing the native animals, so there wasn’t supposed to be anyone out here. Yet, here I was, looking at a camp in the distance.  
I took off my Mark V helmet to sniff the air. If what I was seeing was what Paul thought it was, there would be the familiar smell of smoke in the air.  
I took a slow deep breath through my nostrils. Now I knew for sure: that was a campfire. The question remained: whose was it?  
I placed my bucket back on my head and turned back to Paul.  
“Take the left flank. We’re gonna see who’s out there.”  
We dashed off into separate directions: him going left and me going right. We were circling to get the drop on the ‘camper’ who built the fire.  
As I moved in closer, the smell of the fire made its way through my filters. It was there that I smelled something else — something...savory. I hadn’t eaten anything that smelled good in weeks. My mouth started to salivate as I drew nearer.  
I was now ten meters away from the fire. The fog had lifted, and as I looked through the scope of my rifle, I could see just exactly what was going on.  
Above the fire hung a small metal pot, steam venting out of its top. There was a bag left sitting on top of a rock, a bedroll close but not too close to the burning wood, and just one person.  
Paul made an annoyed grunt. “Oh, it’s just a teenage girl.”  
The girl, who stirred the contents of the pot in a slow counterclockwise movement, was oblivious to our presence. She had medium brown hair that draped down either side of her head and a small fringe. She wore a bright red jacket with a navy blue half circle over the chest. Her eyes, the best I could tell, were a dark blue, just like the long pants she wore. Around the top of her head was a red and white bandana that matched her coat.  
The camper pulled the spoon she was stirring with up to her lips and took a small sip of whatever was on it. She smacked her lips, and made a disapproving grunt, apparently not satisfied with it. She brought out a seasoning of some sort out of the bag and sprinkled in about a teaspoon. The contents of the pot, I guessed, was some soup.  
My stomach began to ache as the smell from the soup. I had trouble keeping my mouth from overflowing with saliva. I even started to smack my lips, just like the girl hovering over the fire.  
I wasn’t the only one who found the smell entrancing. Paul let out a sigh, “Damn, that smells good.”  
“You’re telling me,” I agreed.  
“So, how do we handle this?” Paul asked mind now back on the task at hand.  
“We need her to leave.”  
“Should we scare her off? Pretend we’re ghosts?”  
I rolled my eyes at that idea. “No.”  
The girl tasted the soup again, letting out a delighted sigh, then grabbed a bowl from her bag on the rock. She brought out a small cup and ladled the white soup into the pot. She then sat down on the bedroll, her back towards me, and began eating the dinner.  
“Okay, Paul, hang back. I’m going to introduce myself.”  
“And how are you going to be doing that?”  
“Oh, you know, my outstanding charisma.”  
Paul laughed. “You might have to borrow some of mine.”  
I placed my rifle on my back, the magnetics securing it to my armor, and started walking calmly for the roaring fire. The girl continued with her meal, not giving me any attention at all as my heavily armored frame moved towards her. I couldn’t help but shake my head; she was unaware. A predator could have easily snuck up on her. I’d tell her to be more careful when I reached her.  
When I was only a few feet behind her, the girl got up to get something out of her bag. I thought now would be good to let my presence be known.  
“Hey there.”  
What happened next caught me off guard. The teenager swung around towards me and let out a blood-curdling scream. She started to move back but tripped over a root instead. Once on the ground, she used her hands to quickly drag herself away from me, still yelling like a banshee.  
I held up my hands, surprised at the reaction I just got. “Whoa-whoa-whoa! Easy there! I’m not going to...”  
The girl sprang to her feet, now wielding a long branch in her hands. I took another step closer, and she swung the stick as hard as she could. There was a nice thump as the branch slammed into my armor, causing wooden splinters to fly in every direction. I barely felt a thing, but now knew that she wasn’t delighted that I startled her.  
“Kid, watch it. I’m not going to--will you stop hitting me with that stick, please?”  
Even with her weapon broken, the girl swatted at me over and over again trying to fight me off. Paul got on my radio and was laughing his head off at what he was seeing.  
“You know you can step in anytime, Spartan!” I yelled over my comms, but Paul made no effort to step in.  
Finally, as the teenager went for another swing, I grabbed the stick and pulled it out of her hands. I held it up and snapped it in half, tossing the pieces behind me. I was slightly annoyed at that point.  
“Listen! I’m Spartan 264 of the UNSC! I’m not here to hurt you!”  
She backed up against a tree, gripping the trunk for dear life. Her eyes darted quickly, trying to find an escape route.  
I took off my helmet as a last ditch effort to show her I wasn’t there to kill her. I placed it on the ground, next to my feet. I threw my hands up again, showing her I didn’t have any guns, knives, or any other type of weapon in my hands. “I’m not going to hurt you! For crying out loud, kid, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”  
With relief to me, the girl finally started to calm down. She slowly let go of the tree, wiping off the foliage that stuck to her legs.  
The kid was now looking me over, creasing her brow as I stood there.   
“Who are you?”  
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least the girl wasn’t hitting me with a stick.  
“I’m Spartan 264, but you can call me Joe.”  
She gave me another look over, not believing what she was seeing.  
“You’re a Spartan? I heard that Spartans were just propaganda, to give UNSC civilians hope that we’d somehow win the Covenant War.”  
That was a common idea around the worlds that didn’t get hit. Spartan-IIs weren’t really ‘public knowledge’ when the War started, and only a few people even knew the Spartan-III project. We were so top-secret that not even Dr. Halsey, the brainchild behind the IIs, knew about III’s like myself. No, Spartans like the Master Chief got all the glory while III’s died in the dozens without anyone knowing. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.  
I lowered my arms.   
“Do I look like propaganda to you?”  
She gave an I-don’t-know shrug.   
“I mean, I guess? That armor makes you look unstoppable.”  
I looked at my MJOLNIR; a dulled out blue version of the old Mark IV. Call me retro, but I thought the type of armor the Master Chief and the other Spartan-IIs wore at the beginning were pretty BA. The GEN 2 that most Spartan-IVs and some surviving IIs wore was good, especially with the improvements that solved some problems with the GEN 1 armor. Still, I had to go with the classics.  
I let out a chuckle. “Well, I guess you’re right about that.”  
The girl hung her head, placing her hands behind her.  
“I’m sorry...for hitting you. I thought you were a Covenant alien.”  
“That’s quite alright. What’s your name?”  
“I’m May. May’Haruka nar Sidney III.”  
I reached down for my helmet, brushing off the dirt from the bottom. I was confused; usually, when the word ‘nar’ followed by a place was in the name, it referred to a quarian who hadn’t gone on a ‘pilgrimage’ yet. And, as best as I can tell, the girl, May, wasn’t a quarian.   
“Nar? You part quarian or something?”  
She gave another shrug, then headed over to the pot of soup that was still boiling over the fire.  
“Well, my actual parents died when I was young. Luckily for my little brother and me, a quarian couple lived right next door from us and were wanting kids. So with quarian parents comes a quarian name.”  
May took the pot off the heat and set it down on the ground so it wouldn’t overcook. She reached into her bag again and brought out another bowl. She held it out in my direction.  
“Would you like some cream of potato soup? I guess I owe it to you for...well, you know.”  
I reached out and took the bowl, giving a nod in appreciation. The dish was straightforward in design: two colors, white and red, split horizontally.  
May grabbed the cup and gave me a generous portion, pouring it into the bowl with care. The aroma alone was enough for me to dig in.  
“This smells delicious.” I complimented.  
May gave a shy smile as I sat on a nearby rock to dig in.  
“May,” I said before bringing a spoon up to my mouth, “what are you doing out here in the Sanctuary Woods?”  
May picked up her bowl, not looking me in the eyes.  
“Well...I was on my way to the port at New Oceanside. I was gonna grab a ferry and take it across the Marx ocean to Johto.”  
Before she could explain any further, the both of us heard rustling in the branches above us. I put down the bowl gingerly, then reached for my helmet. When I placed it on my head, I tried contacting Paul.  
“Saber 2, I’ve got movement above me. Can you see anything?”  
A significant figure came plummeting from the sky, landing hard right in front of May. She toppled over, letting out a gasp as her food spilled on her, making her yelp as the hot soup splashed onto her. I, however, recognized that figure almost instantly. Paul stood up with his sniper rifle slung on his back  
“Boss, we got trouble. That ONI agent just told Versio that the Cerberus convoy is on the move. They’re coming.”  
I got to my feet. “How long do we have?”  
“They’re moving pretty fast; they must’ve figured out what’s going on. Versio estimates we’ve got fifteen-to-thirty minutes before they get here.”  
That was a big problem. It took Paul and me over an hour to get where we were. Most of the terrain was uphill, so there was no way everyone would get here in time to set up. In short, it meant Paul and I were going to have to take out the whole convoy and retrieve the package with no help.  
“Well, it wouldn’t be a mission for us if it were that simple,” I said with a resigned tone.  
May got up and was panting again. She gave me a look that just screamed what-the-hell-is-going-on. Paul turned around, saw what happened when he landed and held up a hand.  
“Ooo, sorry about that. I’m Paul, by the way.”  
She gave him a wicked scowl, one that would give a soldier pause.  
“Couldn’t you have just walked out like Jone?”  
“Joe.” I corrected.  
Paul pointed up to the trees and made a circling motion with his finger.  
“I was looking for good positions up there. Decided to take the expressway down.”  
She folded her arms and looked away with a pout, not wanting to give him anymore of her attention.  
“I guess I should tell you what’s going on,” I said to May.  
She turned to me, still pouting but it grew mild when it was me talking to her.  
“We’re here because a Cerberus strike team hit a UNSC research outpost, about twenty klicks from where we are now. They stole something that was found in the Marx, and we’re going to get it back.”  
May dropped her arms, now having a worried expression on her face.  
“Wait, do you mean the dome shaped building by the sea?”  
“Yes.”  
She shook her head. “Oh...oh no.”  
“You know it?”  
She cocked her head. “I’ve seen it once or twice before while I was around that area. Didn’t know exactly what it was until last week when a woman told me her daughter worked there.”  
That woman’s daughter was now gone. It was unfortunate, but it didn’t change anything.  
I continued. “Look, May, it’s not safe here. Pack up your things and get as much distance from here as you can.”  
“But...but it’s pitch black! I won’t see where I’m going!”  
“Better than getting your head shot off,” Paul said matter-of-factly.  
She turned to him, putting that pout back on.  
“Why can’t I just hide in the trees, like you did?”  
“Because a bullet would come up and hit you, which will cause you to plummet to the ground and hit your head on a rock. If the round doesn’t kill you, the fall will. Look, I’ll even help you pack up.”  
Paul kneeled down to roll up the sleeping bag, but May stamped her foot on it defiantly.  
“I am not going out there! You know what kind of beasts are lurking around?”  
Paul tried to convince her and then they started to argue. While this was happening, I got on the radio.  
“Spartan 264 to Spartans 344 and 602, how far are you?”  
“We just ran out of the loading bay and we’re on our way to you,” Sam said.  
They had barely left. I ran through it in my head: by the time Bryn and Sam showed up, Cerberus would pass me and Paul if we waited. Even with our genetic enhancements and being able to run 55 kilometers per hour, the terrain was rough, which means they’d be slowed down.  
I gave a grim nod. “Understood. Get here as fast as you can. 400 and I will handle this.”  
“He said you found a civilian out there all by herself?”  
“I’ll explain later, focus on reaching the RV point. 264 out.”  
Suddenly, an idea sprang up in my head. Maybe finding May out here was a coincidence...or maybe it was a sign.  
As Paul and May continued to argue, I stepped in between both of them.  
“If May doesn’t wanna go out there, then I’ve got a solution.”  
They both gave me puzzled expressions.  
“Joe,” Paul said, “she’s a kid who has no combat experience. How is she gonna help us?”  
May gave Paul a sinister glare, but then looked at me. “What’s your solution?”  
I turned to her. “How good is your acting?”


	4. Chapter 4

I took cover behind a boulder, my thermal vision on. I kept my eyes on the road, scanning up and down to see any incoming vehicles. So far, all was quiet...except for May, who was anxiously pacing on the road.  
“Are you sure they’re gonna stop?” May asked with a worry that crept in her voice.  
I had given her a small communications device that fit right inside the ear canal so Paul and I could keep her in contact.  
“Depends on how convincing you are,” I said reassuringly.   
As much as I hate to admit it, using May was probably the best way to halt that convoy in its tracks. Neither Paul or I had anything that could stop an APC, let alone a truck. Plus, I heard Cerberus liked recruiting humans who were looking for work or had lost their way.  
“Remember,” I said calmly, “you got separated from your friends while taking a hike and have been walking down the road for miles but haven’t had any luck picking up a ride. You’ll need to be scared.”  
“I don’t think I can be convincing enough.” May said doubtfully.  
“Don’t worry kid,” Paul said from his sniper’s perch, “when you see these guys, you’ll be more than convincing”  
Paul had set himself up in a tree that was closest to the road and had good sightlines. He was able to secure himself to the trunk of the tree with hooks that he carried with him at all times.  
I radioed Bryn. “How’s it going, Spartan?”  
“We’re getting there,” she replied breathlessly, “about six klicks!”  
They must’ve been running as fast as they could to get to us. If they kept up that pace, there was more than a chance that at least one of them was going to get a torn ACL.  
“Don’t outpace yourselves,” I warned, “I’d like to have both of you at 100%.”  
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Bryn said confidently.  
That was something I admired about Bryn. She was one Spartan that was willing to give it more effort than anyone else I know. No job, not even difficult ones for Spartan standards, was too much for her. That was mostly because, before she joined Saber, Bryn was a Headhunter: Spartan-III’s who were specifically sent on suicide missions deep in enemy territory. She managed to complete six missions before she was pulled and put in with Saber.  
“Heads up,” Paul said with purpose, “our convoy has arrived.”  
I looked to my left, and sure enough, there was a line of headlights heading straight towards us.  
I ducked down and got ready to move in. When that convoy stopped, I’d move towards the end of the line. Cerberus troops would come out of the vehicles, and at least one of them, had to be carrying grenades. I’d use those grenades to detonate the rear truck, causing confusion among them. With enough luck, Paul and I would be able to take all the guards down and secure the package. Hopefully, May would be enough to stop the Cerberus vehicles.  
“Okay, May, you’re up. You want--no, need--to get on one of those vehicles.”  
“Ye...ye..yes, Joe.”   
Now that Paul and I were counting on her and with the convoy approaching, fear muddled her words.   
“You got this, kid,” Paul said, “now show ‘em what you can do.”  
I watched with anticipation as the first truck moved passed me. I looked to see May, stepping into the middle of the road and waving her arms up and down desperately, like a mad woman.  
“That’s it,” I whispered to her, “keep going.”  
As the second truck passed me, I still didn’t see any sign of slowing down from the lead vehicle. For a moment, it looked like the driver was just going to run right through May. Then, at the last possible second, I heard the squeal of tires and saw red lights coming from the rear of the truck. The driver was applying the brakes. The second truck stopped, then the third, then the fourth, and finally the rear vehicle slammed on the brakes to avoid ramming into the one in front of it.  
“I’m moving in.” I said with no hesitation, and started making my way to the back of the line.  
Paul and I listened to the conversation May was having with a Cerberus trooper.  
“What the hell are you doing?” A rough, gravelly voice barked.  
“I--I--I need help.” May said shakingly.  
“Yeah, well go find someone who gives a damn and get off the road!”  
“P--Please! I was hiking out here with my friends, but I got lost and...”  
In the background, another voice joined in.  
“Sergeant, what’s the hold up?” This voice was more demanding and posh. Most likely belonged to the commanding officer. He sounded more like a baron over some land that belonged to a royal family than a Cerberus operative.  
“This kid was standing in the road, sir,” the first voice answered, “blocking our way!”  
Now there were more troopers getting out of the trucks, bringing out their weapons. One of them ordered her men into defensive positions.  
The second voice focused on May.  
“Young lady, it is quite rude and dangerous to jump in front of a truck. Kindly remove yourself out of our way or we’ll remove you ourselves.”  
I passed the fourth vehicle, trying to stay out of sight from the other soldiers.  
“Wait! I’m lost! I don’t know how to get back home! Just please hear me out.”  
May had now managed to get teary eyed, sniffling every other word.  
“I was hiking...with my friends...when I had to use the restroom. When I was done...they were gone! I’ve...been walking...down this road forever!”  
I had to give it to her: May was amazingly convincing.  
At last, I was right in the rear of the line of vehicles, and there were only two troopers around it. One had what I was looking for around his belt--grenades.  
“I...understand your situation,” the officer said with a gentler tone, “but we cannot help you. We have our own business that we need to take care of. Please, get off the road.”  
May was now letting out little sobs, adding more to the poor lost girl that needed a rescue.  
“Please, help me.”  
There was an audible sigh from the officer, giving in to May’s crying and desperation.  
“Sergeant, get this girl some water and a jacket.”  
May was standing out in the cold without her soup stained jacket. If she was going to be playing the role of a lost hiker, then she needed to look the part of an unprepared girl with no supplies.  
“Sir,” the first voice said tensley, “with all due respect, we’ve got to keep moving. We don’t have time for...”  
The officer’s voice grew stern and cold, a complete turn around from the voice he was using while talking to May.  
“When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it. Do not make me repeat myself.”  
I drew a combat knife that was stored in my armor and prepared to acquire the explosives.  
“May, keep him talking,” I said, “keep his attention on you.”  
“Do you have anything warm to eat? I’m freezing and starving.” May said through the sobbing.  
“Look, girl,” the officer hissed, “if you stop sniveling, I’ll tell you where to go. We’re not a charity organization, so we won’t be giving any handouts.”  
One of the guards moved up towards the lead vehicle, leaving only a single target for me to deal with.  
I quietly lunged forward, running up to the lone guard. He barely had time to address what was going on before I sunk my blade deep into his throat. The Cerberus soldier let out a few garbled noises before he pitched forward. I caught him before he could hit the dirt and gently eased him to the ground. I pulled a grenade off his belt carefully, and was ready to arm it.  
“May, Paul--get ready.” I said, finger over a single button that would begin the countdown.  
When the explosion went off, May was supposed to take off into the wilderness and wait until Paul and I could take down the hostile forces.  
“Got my first target lined up,” Paul said, ready to go.  
I pressed the button, and the grenade started to whine, lights at the ends pulsating. I went up to the front of the last truck, opened the door, and tossed it into the driver’s seat. I sprinted away to get a minimum safe distance. As I dove back into the brush, the grenade detonated, sending a giant fireball into the sky and lighting up the road for a brief second in an orange glow.  
Paul started firing, cracks from his rifle echoed through the night. I brought up my own weapon, and started unleashing three-round bursts into Cerberus troops who hadn’t regained their bearings from the explosion.  
“What the hell...” I heard the officer say through May’s earpiece.  
“May,” I yelled, “get to cover!”  
I ran up to the fourth truck and put down two more hostiles before they could react. Behind me, one brought up her weapon. Before she could squeeze off a barrage, her glass face plate shattered, and where her right eye used to be was now a gaping hole.  
“Go,” Paul barked, “I got you covered!”  
“Keep May safe!” I said tensley, heading towards the third truck. This was the one that had the item recovered from the sea. I didn’t want May to be caught in the crossfire, so I gave Paul the order to keep her covered with sniper fire until she got to safety. It was the least we could do for her.  
I went to the back of the third truck, where to doors was all that stood between me and the cargo. Placing a hand on one of the handles, I tore the door off of its hinges without too much effort. One of the guards, who was standing in front of something, fired two shots at me. The rounds slammed into my shields, draining them only by a fraction. I brought up my rifle and unloaded three rounds directly into his chest, splattering the interior with blood. The second one brought up an M-22 “Eviscerator” shotgun. I quickly placed six rounds into him, focusing on the head. His helmet protected him from the first three bullets, but the rest drove right home into his skull.  
“Targets down,” I reported, “moving in to acquire the package.”  
“Copy,” Paul said, firing a round, “but that officer grabbed May. He’s keeping her pinned to the ground.”  
“Nail him!”  
“He’s taking cover behind the lead truck--I can’t get a good shot!”  
I didn’t have much time. In front of me was a glass cylinder, filled entirely with water. At the bottom of the container was the blue, egg shaped object that had cost a lot of lives. I grabbed the canister, examined it, and placed it over magnetic systems that my armor had over my right thigh. It stuck into place and I went back outside to save May.  
When I got back outside, all I could see were the bodies of the Cerberus soldiers. I was about to head to the first truck when a figure in silver black armor came out. He had gelled hair down, and a thick mustache. The living definition of a gentleman, except he had a pistol pointed at May’s head.  
I brought up my rifle.  
“Let her go!” I shouted at the officer.  
“First,” he said calmly, “drop your weapon and relinquish that container. Set it on the ground gently.”  
I shook my head. There was no way I was going to give that bastard what he wanted.  
“I don’t think you’re in a position to make demands,” I said, referring to all the dead soldiers on the ground.  
He pulled back the hammer of his revolver, making it very clear on what he was willing to do. May, covered in dirt and shivering, looked to me with pleading eyes.  
“Please, Joe,” she cried, “help me.”  
The Cerberus soldier gave her a wild eyed look, then he started to smile like the devil.  
“So that’s your name? Joe?” He said, making my name sound like an insult. The officer let out an evil chuckle.  
“Oh, I see what’s going on. You used her as a distraction, eh? Well, it was a marvelous performance. While she gave me the sad puppy dog eyes, you and whoever else is out there laid out your ambush. Very devious, Joe. Not like what the UNSC tells its people at all. I thought Spartans were supposed to be heroes, willing to lay down their lives for the citizens, not use them in an ambush.”  
He pushed the barrel of the gun right up to May’s temple, forcing her to tilt her head. Tears were running down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut.  
“You pull that trigger,” I growled, “and not only will I kill you.”  
I reached down and snatched up the canister on my leg. I held it high in the air so he could clearly see it.  
“I will smash this to the ground and crush whatever’s in here with my foot.”  
He pulled the barrel from May’s head back, but only by a fraction.  
“You have no idea what that is, do you?” The officer snarled, giving me a cold, dead stare.  
“That is a key. A key to obtain the means of technological advancement beyond even the asari!”  
Cerberus had only one goal: human dominance over the galaxy. They made their intentions clear when they started attacking distant colonies, kidnapping kids for experiments, and even had developed plans for taking out the Council, the leaders of most of the galactic community.  
I shook the cylinder. “Well, if you don’t let her go, I guess your ‘key’ will be nothing but debris.”  
The gun moved a tiny bit more away from May--I had the upper hand.  
The officer was trying to regain his position of power. “I...will give you till the count of ten to put that down and step away.”  
“Oh yeah? Well, I’m giving you the count of three!”  
I started to squeeze on the glass, until a small crack appeared.  
The eyes of the Cerberus officer widened to the size of dinner plates.  
“Stop! You ignorant...”  
I continued to apply pressure as a second, and bigger, crack appeared. The mustached soldier then rammed the barrel of the gun back up to May’s head, his face turning red.  
“I’ll do it! Do you hear me? I will blow this girl’s brains out if you don’t...”  
Before he could finish his sentence, a blade went right through his throat. May screamed as blood spattered on her face. The gun pulled away from her head as the officer started to lean forward, threatening to bring May down with him. The silver blade pulled out of the now dead man’s jugular and the body fell face first into the dirt. There was a curse from a familiar voice.  
“Damn, that was too close,” Bryn said as she shook her knife to remove the blood. She was gasping for breath, her shoulders moving up and down in a continuous motion. Following close behind was Sam, who was huffing just as much as Bryn.  
I was relieved to see them; I didn’t want to think about what would happen if they showed a minute later; I had more than enough disturbing moments that haunted me, and I wasn’t really thrilled with the idea of May being one of them.  
I lowered the canister to my thigh and hooked it back onto the magnets. “Glad you two showed up.”  
Bryn gave a slight shrug. “Ah, you know me: better late than never.”  
May fell to her knees and started to gasp for air. The shock of the whole ordeal was enough to knock her off her feet.   
I kneeled down to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? I could see that was a rough ride for you.”  
She nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. Though...I’m not feeling so...”  
Without warning, May threw up--violently. She made a noise that was similar to a shout as her dinner came up to make a second appearance. May gulped down a few swallows of air before she let out another stream of vomit.  
None of us looked away in disgust; we all had done something similar, if not worse, to what May did.  
“Oh no...” May said, shame building up in her voice, “I’m so sorry!”  
I took off my helmet and set it down behind me. “Hey, no sweat. Happens to the best of us.”  
Bryn sat down next to May and started rubbing her back. That wasn’t like Bryn at all; she was probably one of the most reserved people I knew. She would close herself up from just about anybody that tried to say hi to her. There must’ve been something that she saw in May that let Bryn be more open to her than she was to just about anyone else besides Saber.  
“Don’t worry, kid,” Bryn said with a calmness in her voice, “we ain’t the judging type.”  
I got up and extended a hand to her, being careful not to step in the white puddle. She grasped my hand, and I pulled her up to her feet, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.  
“You did a good job, May. Not many people would offer to risk their lives like the way you did.”  
May gave me a tearful look, nodding. She let out another sob, and looked away, closing her eyes tight. A feeling of guilt ran over me for putting her into that situation. An hour ago, she had been cooking dinner and was getting ready to settle in for the night. Now, because of me, she was taken hostage and almost had been shot in the head.   
Paul slid down from the tree on the trunk, hugging it like an animal. When he reached the bottom, he went up to Sam and gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder. “Where have you two been? You missed all the fun.”  
Sam gave him a light shove. “Wasn’t our fault that Cerberus decided to roll out before we were ready.”  
Bryn looked at the canister on my thigh, examining at the cracks.  
“What exactly is that thing?” She asked, placing her knife back into its sheath.  
I made a dismissive wave with my hand, not really concerned. “Some kind of key that’ll unlock some technological treasure or something. I really don’t care what it is; as long as it’s with us, it can do the least amount of harm.”  
Bryn reached down and grabbed the container from my leg. She gave a real long look at it, then gazed back at me. “I think this might need a more gentle place to be carried around in. I mean, look at this damage.”  
She held it up to me, pointing out the cracks. Both of them were now leaking water slowly, but those could soon get bigger, meaning more water would escape. My gut told me that the object inside needed that water to survive.  
I gestured to my armor. “Well, I don’t exactly have anything soft to put it in.”  
Bryn looked at May, who was trying to get the blood spatters off from her face. She looked at the canister, then back to May.  
“Hey, kid,” Bryn said softly, “you up for doing one more favor for us?”  
I gave her a glare. “Oh no-no-no-no! We put May through enough for one night, we’re not turning her into a courier for us.”  
Bryn scoffed. “Ah she looks like a tough girl. I mean you said it yourself--she’s got balls.”  
I folded my arms. “Yes, but she’s already done her part in this. I’m not going to let her journey be put on hold because we don’t have anything to carry that container gently or even seal up those cracks.”  
Paul chimed in. “I don’t know, Joe. Maybe she should travel with us, you know, in case there’s other Cerberus agents out there.”  
“Or predators,” Sam added, “I bet they can smell the blood, if not the burning flesh.”  
I was about to make it clear that we wouldn’t be taking her with us when she came up close to me. “Joe...I can help. Please, I...I don’t wanna be alone out here right now. I feel safe with you guys.”  
Her eyes were still watering from her vomiting, but that look told me that she was terrified. I then thought of how we actually owed her for risking her life so that we had an actual chance of getting the package. We had ruined her night with all the shooting and explosions. I mean, was it really that bad if she just came with us?  
I let out a long sigh, looking over the carnage of bodies and a flaming APC. I understood why May didn’t exactly want to be left here all alone.  
“Okay,” I said quietly, “go and get your things. We’ll guide you back to our ship. You can spend the night on board with us and then we’ll take you to Johto.”  
May smiled meekly, sniffing and said, “Thank you.”  
Sam came up to her. “Here, I’ll help you pack.”  
As she and Sam went over to the campsite, Bryn gave me an amused look. “She seems like a nice kid.”  
I shook my head. “Yeah, she is. What I’m worried about is that we just might’ve roped May into something that’s going to claim her life.”


	5. Chapter 5

An hour had passed since Paul and I took out the convoy and the five of us started to hike back to the Nomad. I was still amazed that we were actually able to pull it off. It was all thanks to the girl we found in the woods; though I think finding girls in the woods is like the start of a horror vid. The scenery was right.  
May was now feeling secure with four Spartan bodyguards by her side. She was carrying the container with the strange egg looking thing still safely inside it. May wrapped her arms around that thing and pressed it close to her abdomen. As we walked, our helmet lamps lighting up the way, she still felt a little shaken from having a gun to her head. But thanks to Sam speaking with her, May was getting more cheery and was now talking about herself.  
We learned that she had just turned 19 about two weeks ago and was on a journey that her adoptive parents had encouraged her to take. They wanted her to make her own pilgrimage across the planet, visiting key cities and locations. She lived in another region called Hoenn, and had mostly been walking or taking public transport in her quest. She talked about the amazing people she met, the great food at some restaurants a few cities over, and just went on and on about what she was excited to see.  
“And over in Vermillion Harbor,” May said with a sing-songy tone, “the ships come in and out all day! I hear that the green rock crab bisque at Jeff’s Shack is to die for!”  
Sam was carrying May’s pots and pans in a bag that was on his back, the loud clunking after each step was starting to get irritating to me, but he just listened and conversed with her.  
“What makes the bisque so special?” Sam asked, actually interested in what May was saying.  
“I heard that the chefs only use female crab meat, which is supposed to be sweeter than the male crab. In addition, they saute the onions and tomatoes before they add it in the pot!”  
Sam let out a soft moan. “You gotta be careful, May; you’re making me hungry.”  
“Oh, and I haven’t even talked about what goes on in Cherrygrove! They raise all sorts of flowers that have the sweetest scent in all of Sidney III.”  
May let out a peaceful and blissful aaah, closing her eyes as she most likely imagined that she was there, sniffing the aroma of all those flowers.  
“Just the thought of them takes my breath away. I bet the flower fields surrounding the city are romantic!”  
Sam let out a small snicker. “Romantic eh?”  
May, looked down, blushing.  
“Don’t laugh! I actually love romantic stuff. Flowers, sunsets...”  
“Chocolates, walks on the beaches, the Eiffel Tower,” Sam added.  
He and May let out a series of laughter as Paul, Bryn, and I continued walking over the rugged terrain.  
“Glad they’re having a good talk,” Paul said, having May’s bag slung over his shoulder, “but I wish they’d keep it down.”  
“Ah, let ‘em be,” Bryn said, keeping her eyes straight ahead, “I’m actually starting to like their conversation.”  
I thought it would be good to let the commander know that we were bringing May. She probably wouldn’t like the idea of bringing a civilian aboard, but it wouldn’t be for long.  
I got on the communications channel that was linked to the Nomad.  
“Commander, this is Spartan 264. Hostiles have been neutralized and we’ve got the package.”  
There was a pause before Versio replied.  
“Did 344 and 602 reach you in time?”  
“Negative, ma’am. We actually got help from a nineteen-year-old girl who was setting up camp right near the ambush site. Be advised, she’s heading back with us.”  
I could feel the commander’s disapproval through my headset.  
“Explain to me why you thought that was a good idea, Spartan.”  
Bryn was linked onto the same channel, just like Sam and Paul, and tensed her shoulders as I tried to explain the situation.  
“Ma’am, she risked her life to stop the convoy from continuing down the road. She even had a gun pointed at her head from the commanding officer. All she wants is to spend the night with us, then she’ll be on her way.”  
“Spartan, you should’ve ran this by me before you acted,” Versio grumbled.  
“I know, Commander, but I had to make a call.”  
There was a long silence before she spoke again.  
“The girl can stay for one night, but we have to get the package back to Command as soon as possible.”  
“Understood,” I replied, grateful that I was spared a verbal lashing...at least for now.  
I disconnected from the line, and Bryn eased her shoulders.  
“That could’ve been a lot worse,” she said.  
“What can I say,” I said with a sly smile underneath my helmet, “I’ve got a way with the commander.”  
Bryn chuckled, “You better hope she never hears you say that.”  
Sam let out a deep moan, reacting to something that May had said in their conversation. “I haven’t had real meat in a long time. My mother used to make this amazing Moa roast marinated in a dill broth. That was my favorite thing she cooked.”  
“Where are you from, Sam?” May asked, now wanting to talk about Sam. That was going to be problematic as all four of us, along with hundreds of other kids, spent our childhood training to become fierce and deadly soldiers. Sam would most likely have to make up something to keep that information safe. However, Sam answered truthfully on the first question.  
“I’m from Alluvion. I used to live on a farm with my mother and three older sisters.”  
May made an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, accidentally bringing up the tragedy of Alluvion, one of many planets first world to fall to the Covenant.  
“Oh, Sam, I didn’t mean to make you remember that,” May said apologetically.  
He just shrugged, not at all affected on the memories of his homeworld. “You didn’t know. I mean, that’s why you asked, isn’t?”  
She nodded. “Yeah...I guess I didn’t even consider that Alluvion was your home.”  
“Well, I wasn’t there when it came under attack.”  
“What about your mother and sisters?”  
“I heard that they survived. That was good enough for me.”  
May didn’t realize it, but she and Sam had something in common: they were both adopted by nonhumans. Sam’s birth parents, from what he was told, died when he was only a year old. It was actually an asari matriarch who took him in and raised him along with her three daughters. It was true that they survived...up until they were caught in another attack at Meridian and they went missing.  
Paul suddenly stopped, cocking his head to one side. I stopped too, as did Bryn and Sam. May took a couple of steps forward before she noticed that none of us were moving.  
“Something’s stalking us,” Paul uttered through the radio.  
The rest of Saber switched into action, setting up a perimeter, with May in the middle. We drew our weapons and scanned the trees and surrounding area.  
“What’s happening?” May asked in a whisper, kneeling down on the ground. She clutched the container tighter.  
“Paul,” I said, “what is it?”  
He was quiet, looking in one specific direction--behind us. Something was there and it was close.  
“We’re being followed. Listen.”  
All of us listened intently, but there wasn’t any noise. Not even the nocturnal wildlife was making any sound. To others, things being silent would mean everything was fine. But to Saber, if not even the wildlife is making noise, something was out there that didn’t belong.  
“I can’t hear anything,” May said, confused by why we seemed to be worked up about nothing.  
“That’s just it, girl,” Bryn said in a hushed voice, “even the animals are being quiet.”  
Sam suddenly spotted something, raising his rifle to the left of the group.  
“Aw, hell,” he said, sounding more gruff than he was a few seconds ago, “there’s more than one!”  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement within the trees. Whoever was out there was circling around the group trying to close us off.  
“Move,” I shouted, “move!”  
We all sprang to our feet and started sprinting forward before we were cut off. May, not being genetically enhanced, was surprised by how fast we were moving. She really had to pump her legs to even stay near us. We slowed down a little to make sure she wouldn’t get left behind.  
Shots began going off and bullets whizzed right by us like swarms of angry insects. Trees started to break apart, sending shards of wood towards us like shrapnel. Dirt sprang up towards us as the rounds impacted the ground.  
May let out scared screams as rounds flew dangerously close to her head.  
Sam moved in behind her and laid down suppressing fire. “Keep going, kid! I got your back!”  
Bryn started firing her shotgun to the left, keeping whoever was chasing us pinned down. I started doing the same to our right flank, firing bursts into the trees.  
I blinked rapidly, reconnecting my helmet to the channel that linked to the Commander.  
“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Commander, this is Spartan 264, we’re being pursued by unknown hostiles. They’ve opened fire and we’re on the move!”  
There was an explosion behind us and more dirt and dead leaves started raining down on us.  
“Keep going!” Versio yelled.  
“Like that’s even a choice!” I said.  
“Who is after you?”  
“I don’t know,” I snapped, “I haven’t stopped and asked them yet!”  
Another explosion erupted behind us. Things were getting tight.  
“I have a visual,” Bryn hollered, “looks like Cerberus isn’t done with us yet!”  
Looking to my right, I saw the unmistakable helmet of a Cerberus Assault Trooper. Four glowing red lines that slant inwards like angry eyebrows. There were multiple red lines out there. I asked myself how in the world was Cerberus able to send in another squad without alerting the Commander. I thought of a few reasons, but then banished them to the back of my mind so that I could focus on not getting shot to pieces.  
Paul let out a growl. “Agh, we’re gonna get cut down if we keep going like this!”  
He was right. If we didn’t start fighting back, the combined fire would take down our shields and riddle us full of holes. I acted quickly.  
I reloaded a new magazine into my rifle. “Paul! You and I will provide covering fire. Sam and Bryn: get May and the package back to the Nomad!”  
“Affirmative!” Paul replied through gritted teeth.  
I swiveled around and dropped to one knee, pumping rounds into the shadows that were moving. Three of them stopped moving, and I turned around and started booking it again.  
Paul started doing the same, and the both of us did the same action for what felt like an eternity stop-shoot-run, stop-shoot-run, until the enemy fire started to decrease. We had done this for almost gone a whole kilometer, according to my HUD.  
Fewer and fewer troops continued to chase us through the night. It looked like we were gaining the advantage.  
“We got this,” I assured my team, “just keep going!”  
May, however, was starting to slow down. Never before in her life had she ran that far so fast, and it was starting to take its toll on her body.  
“Move it, kid!” Sam shouted at her.  
“I...I can’t!” May screamed as she went from a sprint to a jog.  
“You don’t have any other choice! Either you get your butt moving or get it shot off!”  
That seemed to put fire in her, and she took of with the energy of a racer, kicking up dirt while holding the canister tight against her chest.  
As I dropped to one knee to provide cover, a round came right at me. It grazed the side of my helmet, making an ear splitting screech as it skidded along the metal plating. I fired a long spray into the woodland, then hightailed it out of there. They were starting to catch on to the pattern. At least there were fewer of them now.  
As we were beginning to lose them, May’s foot caught onto something, sending her tripping forward. The canister fell to the ground, bouncing up a few inches in the air as it flew forward, disappearing into the bushes. We couldn’t out run Cerberus, not while guarding May and the package. She was about to give out and they were closing in.  
“Saber!” I yelled, “Defensive positions!”  
Spartans worked their best with their backs against the wall. Now was the time to turn the tables.  
Paul rolled forward, turning himself a swift 180 degrees around, rifle up. Bryn pulled her legs in and skidded to the ground. Sam stopped to help May get up, reaching an arm around her waist and hoisting her up to her knees, but then laid a hand on her back and pushed her back down so she wouldn’t get hit by a round. She had a couple of scrapes, but nothing that looked too serious.  
“Here they come!” Bryn bellowed, firing shells into the tree line. Paul opened up with his sniper while Sam and I shot at anything that moved.  
For a whole minute, there was nothing but the sounds of firearms going off, muzzle flashes that lit up the night for a fraction of a second, and the smell of smoke.  
After noticing that there were no bullets heading our way, I shouted, “Hold fire! Hold fire!”  
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence and clouds of gunsmoke hanging through the air. I looked to Sam, weapon still pointing at the forest, waiting for something to pop up. Paul was covered in dirt, almost to the point where it almost looked like it was stuck onto his MJOLNIR. Bryn stood up, letting her hand clutching her shotgun fall to her side as she craned her neck for another target. But I couldn’t see May. She wasn’t beside Sam anymore.  
“May?” I said, listening for a response. Nothing.  
I started to move my head left to right, trying to find her red bandana through the murky night. “May! May, where are you?”  
Paul stood up, joining in the search and calling out for her. “May? May, holler if you hear us!”  
“She’s over there!” Sam shouted.  
I looked at where he was pointing at, and ahead was a figure, hunched over something, not moving a muscle. The glow of the moon shone down, revealing the figure as May, her red bandana a dead give away. I felt a rush of relief, but it only lasted for a brief moment. Walking towards her, I gestured the others forward. As we got closer, I tried getting her attention.  
“May?”  
She didn’t respond, but she was still alive; I could see her breath as it turned into a fog.  
I reached a hand down to her shoulder. She still didn't react.  
“May, are you hurt?”  
Finally moving, May turned around, holding something in her palms. I looked down to see what it was, and was set back for a moment.  
It was the package--out in the open.  
May struggled for breath as she tried to explain.  
“I’m...I’m...sorry. I didn’t mean to let go, but it just slipped out of my hands. I...”  
She began to quiver, trying to fight back tears of having lost her grip. Adrenaline was making its way out of her as she could barely stand up.  
I looked to my team, who just stood there, their disappointed expressions masked behind their helmets. Sometimes that's just how it was: you give it your all, and it’s still not enough.  
I turned my attention back to May, and sat down next to her, my legs screaming for me to rest.  
“It’s not your fault, May,” I said in an affirming tone, trying to hide my own frustration from her. I gave her a pat on the back, letting her know that I wasn’t mad at her for doing something she hadn’t planned to ever experience.  
She shook her head, not knowing how to react. “I’m sorry.”  
Against the protest of my legs, I stood back up and motioned for the others to give May some space and talk about what the next step was. We switched to our private comm channel so that May wouldn’t be able to hear us.  
“Well,” Bryn said sourly, crossing her arms in a disconsolate manner, “that went well.”  
Sam shook his head, disappointed in the mission being a loss.  
“Crap...well, let’s look on the bright side: at least Cerberus can’t use it now.”  
I looked down and saw a small rock just laying there. I kicked the pebble, sending it flying into the wilderness. It landed against a tree, making an echo throughout the forest.  
“So what happens now?” Paul asked, still cradling his sniper rifle.  
I stood firmly, straightening up. “We get May back to the ship and patch her up. We’ll drop her off in Johto in the morning.”  
“What about the package?”  
What else was there to do? The very thing that had cost so many lives, had put May’s at risk, and forced us to run through the forest with Cerberus on our butts was now gone. I didn’t care what happened to it now. I’d even use it as a skipping stone, seeing as that was the only useful thing it’d be right now.  
“Might as well just leave it,” I said bitterly, “it’s basically worthless.”  
“Versio is gonna be pissed,” Bryn stated.  
“Joe?” May said, with an uneasiness in her voice.  
I turned around, reactivating my external audio filters.  
“Everything okay, May?”  
She stood up, and then a soft red light started to illuminate her hands. A weird sound started to drone and was steadily getting louder.  
Paul, Bryn, Sam, and I quickly started moving towards her.  
“May! May, drop it!” I yelled.  
She looked to us, letting out scared gasps, still not letting go.  
“For hell’s sake, girl,” Bryn screamed, “let go of the damn...”  
The red glow subsided and was replaced by a blinding white flare. I had to shut my eyes and look away, water already starting to fill my vision. I kept them closed for a solid fifteen seconds before I couldn’t see the glow through my eyelids. When I looked back, letting my vision adjust to the darkness, I saw May still, miraculously, in one piece. I started taking small, cautious, steps, holding out a hand to her.  
“May...May you okay?”  
She remained silent but looked down at...something.  
I took one more step, “May?”  
She didn’t pay any attention to me, but I heard a soft laugh come out of her. Then, all of a sudden, a wailing cry emitted from her arms. It was high pitched and constant, almost like an upset child.  
May looked around, confused.  
“Oh! Uh...”  
Then she started rocking her arms back and forth desperately.  
“Oh no, it’s okay! Yes, everything is going to be fine! Just fine!”  
I went and placed myself in front of May to see what was going on. I looked down and saw something that was unlike anything I’d ever seen before in all my years.  
In May’s arms was a small, blue, stubby body with two flipper-like arms. Its head was in the shape of an onion with a pair of long whips with a ball hanging off of each end of it. A red gem was centered on its chest with a yellow dot beneath it. Two lines extruded from its eyes, which were shut tight, like eyelashes topped with yellow dots. The one foot creature wriggled in May’s arms, crying and screaming, as she tried her best to calm it down like a mother to her fussy baby.  
“What the...” I muttered, trying to comprehend what that thing was.  
Sam and Bryn came up from behind and looked over May’s shoulders. When they saw the weeping bundle, the two Spartans just stared as tears ran down the creature’s cheeks.  
Sam took off his helmet, wanting to see it with his own eyes, making sure his helmet wasn’t distorting his vision. Sweat dripped down from his forehead as his puzzled expression continued to look.  
“Well, that’s something I haven’t seen before.”  
Bryn took her bucket off too, gave the newborn a long look, and blurted, “What in the friggin’ hell is that?”  
“No clue, but it sure got a healthy set of lungs.”  
May continued to sway her arms, trying to calm the screaming.  
“That’s it, that’s it! You got it!”  
I just gazed at it, trying to wrap my mind around what had happened. I ran through everything from when May called out to me and the red glow appeared. For once...I didn’t have any clue how to explain it.  
Paul was the last one to come and examine what all the fuss was about. When he saw the crying...thing, he didn’t seem too confused at all. In fact, he and May were probably the only ones out of all five of us to adjust quickly to the situation.  
“Oh,” he said, as if it was an epiphany, “so the package was...an egg.”  
It all made sense now. The egg shaped object was in actuality an egg! The commander even said the thing was organic, yet none of us took the wild guess of it having something living inside.  
“An egg for what?” Sam asked, wiping drips from his forehead.  
“That thing apparently,” Bryn replied.  
The ‘baby’ started to settle, its cries becoming softer and softer as it was starting to tire out. It even opened its eyes, which were a light shade of yellow with dark blue pupils. It stared at May, calming down as it looked deep into her eyes. Then, its eyes shut again and its little body moved up and down in a rhythm--it fell asleep.  
I got back onto the communications channel.  
“Commander, this is Spartan 264. Hostiles are down, but...uh.”  
“What is it, Spartan?” Versio asked with a pressing tone in her voice.  
“Well, Commander,” I softly said, trying not to awake the sleeping bundle so it wouldn’t start crying again, “it seems like we just figured out what the package was. It was an egg, ma’am.”  
“Was? What do you mean, ‘was’, Spartan?”  
“I mean it’s not an egg anymore. It hatched.”  
There was silence over the line as Versio processed the news.  
“What came out of it?”  
I shook my head, not even sure how to even say it. “I think it’d be easier if you saw it with your own eyes, commander. We’re heading back now---264, out.”  
I took off my own helmet, the cold air splashing against my hot face, my breath visible in the night.  
“Okay, I know this is a...weird experience for everyone, but we need to head back to the Prowler before Cerberus sends in another kill squad.”  
Bryn looked at me with concern.  
“But what about...this? What do we do with it?”  
I shrugged, “I guess it’s coming with us. Let’s move out!”  
Sam slung his rifle behind his back and held out his arms towards May.  
“Here, I’ll carry it for you.”  
May gingerly placed the tiny blue body into Sam’s arms. Its mouth wrinkled and started to cry again. Sam tried his best to calm it down, but to no avail.  
“Aw, come on! May, I'm afraid it prefers you!”  
She quickly took it back, rocking it and whispering, “Shh, shh. Don't cry, sweetie, don't cry sweetie. There you go,” until it calmed down and fell asleep again.  
Bryn put her bucket on and said, “Best if she carries it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that thing crying the rest of the way back.”  
“Agreed,” Paul said, already moving ahead of us, taking point.  
I walked to May, now gently bouncing the blue hatchling up and down softly---trying to keep it soothed.  
“Hey,” I said in a hushed voice, trying to keep things peaceful, “do you need to have one of us carry you? I mean you just sprinted a long way in rough terrain without stopping.”  
She bobbed her shoulders, “I am exhausted, but I can walk.”  
May had shown me, three times to be exact, that she was a lot tougher than she appeared to be. In the miniscule time that I knew her, she swung at me with a stick, placed herself in front of an armored Cerberus convoy, and ran through the woods in the dark with bullets flying at her. To me, the girl might as well have been a marine for the way she reacted to dangerous situations. Now she was willing to carry an unknown creature back to the prowler without any complaint.  
I smiled, and gave her a nod. I slipped my helmet back on as we trekked in the dark back to the Nomad.


	6. Chapter 6

Throughout the rest of our hike back to the Nomad, there were no more ambushes from Cerberus, no more shootouts in the dark, and not a single suspicious noise disturbed us. On the other hand, there were multiple incidents of May’s little problem acting up. As May looked about ready to collapse to the ground, all of us tried to take the little one and carry it for her. And each attempt we made ended with it bawling its eyes out. After the fifth try, we all gave up and let May tough it out.  
When we got back, the moon was high in the sky, and all of us were covered in sweat and grime and smelled of spent gunpowder. Rex, donned in his battle gear with his two signature magnums on each of his legs, waved us in from the ship’s airlock. When we came into the light of the ship’s high beams, Rex let out a low whistle.  
“You guys look like you’ve through the wringer.”  
Bryn went up the ramp that led into the airlock. “Oh really, sir? I hadn’t noticed.”  
If it had been another officer, they would’ve reprimanded Bryn for that comment. However, Rex was tolerant of her occasional snarky comments and overall difficult attitude. He knew he couldn’t change her, but he could be a more patient officer than the others.  
As May neared the ship, she stared at Rex, a little intimidated by his Orbital Drop Shock Trooper armor. Rex looked at her, and actually took off his helmet to her. He gave her a nod in acknowledgement, letting her know that he wasn’t going to stop her from coming aboard. May nodded back, then climbed up the ramp to enter the Prowler. The blue baby was sound asleep in her arms, which brought relief to the rest of us.  
When I made my way upto the airlock, Rex stopped me and whispered, “Was that the girl that helped you stop the convoy?”  
I only nodded, not wanting to explain the whole story out here.  
“And that thing she’s carrying?”  
I let out a sigh, “If only I knew, Captain. All I know is it cries every time May isn’t holding it.”  
Rex gave a glance at the door, checking if May was in earshot. When he was sure she wasn’t, he said, “Do you think it might’ve...imprinted on her?”  
“At this point it could be anything. But your theory sounds like the most plausible, so I’m going to say yes.”  
He gestured for me to head inside, sharing my sentiments of not wanting to wait in the open for too long.

As I headed down the corridors I noticed Commander Versio had stopped May and was talking to her to her in the mess hall. They were speaking to each other, but in whispered voices. I had trouble hearing what they were saying, but I thought it best not to eavesdrop on their conversation. I had taken a few steps away from them before the Commander spotted me.  
“264,” she called out, “a word?”  
I turned around and headed right towards the two, taking off my helmet. When I reached them, it was apparent that the Commander wanted to know what had happened. All she said to me was, “Explain.”  
I let out a long breath through my nostrils, and told the whole story from the time Paul and I had left to the point where the little problem appeared from nowhere. Versio didn’t make any interruptions; she just listened. When I was done, she gave both May and me a wary expression.  
“So, ‘it’ was what Cerberus was trying to get?”  
I nodded, “Appears so, ma’am.”  
Versio gave another look at the sleeping body, furrowing her brow, not sure what to think. May, now covered in dirt and dried blood, stood firm against the commander’s stare at her problem. A long and uncomfortable silence came over us as Versio ran through her mind, figuring out what she should do with May and It.  
Versio pointed towards the medbay, “I’ll need to have my medical officer examine your friend immediately. Head on through that door and place it on one of the beds.”  
May looked stunned, about to say something, but the commander cut her off.  
“We don’t know what it is,” Versio stated, “and I don’t want it loose. Keeping it quarantined is the best solution right now until we have an idea of what to do.”  
“But,” May said in a timid and worn out voice, “it’s done nothing but cry and sleep. I don’t think you need to worry about...”  
“Listen, kid, this is a new alien species. Protocol states to assume hostility, given that in humanity’s history, first contact with aliens is the trigger for war.”  
“It hasn’t tried to kill us though,” May pointed out, slowly growing more confidence, “it’s just a baby!”  
Lexi joined us at this point, ready to run tests on the tiny creature. She had her datapad in her hand, pulling up the outline of what she needed to do.  
“The commander is right,” Lexi said, trying to appeal to May’s reasonable side, “this is an unknown species. It could be dangerous, but maybe it’s harmless, like you say it is. Either way, it would be best if I ran some tests to make sure. I’ll be as gentle as I can, and you have my word on that.”  
May was about to object, but then saw what Lexi and Versio were trying to tell her. She looked down at the creature that hugged her chest tightly, fast asleep, and let out a sigh.  
“Okay.”  
Lexi reached out for it, slowly going in to take it from May’s hands. I stepped in before disaster happened.  
“Hold up, doc. That thing is super sensitive and if May isn’t the one holding it, then it does nothing but cry.”  
Lexi, thankfully, pulled her arms away from May’s bundle. She then rested her chin in her fingers, pondering over the detail.  
“Fascinating. Newborn asari act in the same way when taken away from their mothers. I wonder...”  
“T’Perro,” Versio said firmly, “get started on those tests. Now.”  
Lexi nodded, directing May to follow her with a wave of her hand.  
Versio then turned her full attention to me.  
“We need to get whatever she’s carrying to ONI Research,” she said, getting straight to the point.  
My chest tightened: ONI? I promised May that we were just going to drop her off at Johto, not send her to a sterile medical lab where techs would be waiting to dissect the stubby thing. I would’ve been fine sending just the egg off, but now that it was alive and aware of its surroundings, I didn’t feel too confident with the Commander.  
“Ma’am,” I said calmly, “with all due respect, I don’t think it’s wise to rush over to ONI just yet. What about May?”  
“We wouldn’t have to worry about that if you hadn’t made a rash decision and brought her with you, Spartan,” Versio said, her tone cold.  
“Commander, I couldn’t leave her out there,” I justified.  
“Yes-yes, because she’s a civilian that was in harm’s way. I am well aware of your actions on Arcadia, 264. What you did was heroic, but you could’ve done more good if you and your team had held your position. Let’s not repeat history here, understand?”  
I wished that Versio didn’t try to make me feel guilty of what had happened during the Covenant attack on Arcadia. What Saber did made the Spartans look good and helped boost civilian morale, but it cost a lot of Army troops their lives. It wasn’t an easy choice, but my conscience was clear; those soldiers knew the risks when they started following a Spartan fireteam through a war-torn city.  
The commander started heading up back to the bridge, and unenthusiastically said, “You're dismissed, Spartan.”  
I felt conflicted about sending over the alien to ONI since it wouldn’t willingly leave May’s side. How would May react to researchers in sterile suits take the creature, having it wailing and weeping for her? Would she let it be or would she protest and try to take it back? There had to be something I could do to prevent that from happening. The egg was found in the Marx by UNSC researchers, and it was common knowledge that most research outposts study Forerunner technology these days. Maybe the two were connected.  
An idea came to me. If there was any correlation with the egg being at a Forerunner site, then I knew one certain asari that could find it. Both an expert on Forerunners and Protheans, another ancient civilization, this asari was probably the best chance of not having to send May and the alien to a secret ONI station. All I had to do was give her a call. I headed towards the communications center, hoping that she would answer.

In the small communications center, which was nothing more than a cramped room with a single monitor on the wall along with buttons pulsating, I sat in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for my call to be answered. Although little, it was probably one of the most advanced communications systems ever built. Since Prowlers operated deep behind enemy lines, they needed to have the best to do their job. I don’t understand the details behind it, but I did know that I could pretty much talk with anyone in the galaxy.  
Out of my MJOLNIR, I was drumming my fingers on my leg, trying to make the environment less dull. I took my hat in my hands and examined the wear and tear on the fabric, then placed it back onto my head. Almost thirty minutes had passed since I made the call, and I was still unsure when the other line would pick up. Others would’ve given up by the third minute, but I knew that this contact of mine liked to wait for a little before picking up the line. I just had to wait a bit longer before someone answered.  
Finally, the monitor blinked on, showing me an asari sitting at a desk, looking rather tired. She was dressed in a dark uniform, and the bags under her blue eyes told me that she hadn’t slept in a couple of days.  
“Liara,” I said, “good to see you.”  
“Hello, Joe,” she replied, “is there something that you need? I am rather in the middle of some important work, so I don’t have time for a personal call.”  
I leaned forward, “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take long.”  
Liara T’Soni was a well-known archeologist on the Forerunner and Prothean empires. She had devoted the past 50 years of her long life in finding out why the two suddenly disappeared. With a little help from Commander Shepard and from reading reports from Spartan-117, most commonly known as the Master Chief, Liara theorized that both had killed the other off in a war that spanned the galaxy and took hundreds of years. The Protheans unleashed a parasitic life form on the Forerunners while they retaliated with an armada of sentient dreadnaughts.  
I pulled up some images that my helmet camera had caught. I chose the one that had the egg in plain sight and one after it hatched. That should be more than enough for Liara to go off on.  
“A Cerberus strike team hit one of our research outposts on Sidney III,” I explained, “because they were after this.”  
I sent the first image, waiting for Liara to examine it. She looked down at something on her desk, grabbed a datapad, then squinted her eyes at the screen.  
“This is...interesting. But I fail to see why this made you contact me. I’m not sure what you have even sent me.”  
That dampened my spirits, seeing that I was hoping her to know right off the bat what the egg was. Maybe that was too much to expect from her. She wasn’t some all-knowing oracle.  
“It’s an egg that was found in the Marx Sea, right around where some Forerunner relics were.”  
Liara nodded, “Ah, I see. Well, I haven’t run into anything like that at any of the dig sites I’ve been to in my time. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”  
“Actually,” I said before she could disconnect, “that egg hatched a couple of hours ago. This was what came out of it.”  
I sent her the second picture, waiting to see if she would at least give me a hint of what the creature was. She looked at her datapad once more, studying it. This time, I saw a reaction--nothing big, but she subtly straightened up in her chair. Liara knew something about that alien, and it had fully grabbed her attention.  
“This can’t be a...”  
“A what?” I asked rather impatiently.  
She didn’t answer me, just kept examining the picture. She shook her head in disbelief, “No...no, this can’t be possible.”  
“Liara. Please, tell me what it is.”  
She looked at me, her eyes conveying that she was now entirely focused on what I had sent.  
“Joe, listen to me very carefully. What you have right now is a species that was around when the Protheans and the Forerunners were still using soldiers against each other. It has not been seen since the Halo Array, but there are numerous records of them both in Forerunner glyphs and asari mythology.”  
“Is it dangerous?” I asked, wondering if I needed to put a bullet in its head.  
“No! It’s been said that it was one of the gentlest creatures in the galaxy.”  
“So then what exactly is it?”  
“It’s called a ‘Manaphy,’ an old asari word for ‘Guardian of the Sea.’ They’re aquatic creatures but could survive on the land. During the early days of the Athame doctrine, the Manaphy were projected as the Goddess’ children and were not to be harmed for fear of retaliation from Athame herself.”  
Finally, I had at least a tiny bit to go on: what we had was an ancient species that went extinct after the Array. Though, something didn’t add up.  
“Is there any reason why Cerberus wanted it so bad?”  
She shook her head, “I doubt it’s for anything good.”  
“I heard a Cerberus officer say it was a ‘key’ to technological dominance.”  
“Well, almost every advanced race in the galaxy has the means to unlock Forerunner artifacts. It shouldn’t be surprising that the Forerunners made technology that only the Manaphy could activate.”  
It was all coming together now. Cerberus must’ve found something that they needed Manaphy for. I don’t know how they even knew of its existence, but that didn’t seem like my biggest concern right now. As long as we had it, then Cerberus couldn’t use it.  
“I guess ONI will have its work cut out trying to figure more about it,” I said, ready to let Liara get back to whatever she was doing. I got what I needed and felt better knowing that I hadn’t unwittingly let a killer monster aboard.  
Now it was Liara’s turn to keep the conversation going.  
“Joe---wait! I would like to see this for myself.”  
That was going to be a problem. Versio was giving her report to Command, and we’d be dusting off soon. Something told me that she wouldn’t want to wait around for Liara.  
“That’s not my call,” I told her, “and even if it was, we have priorities. My CO wants to get the Manaphy to ONI ASAP, and there is clear evidence we’re being hunted.”  
“I can be there in less than a solar day,” she said, “and I’ll keep an eye on Cerberus forces that are still on Sidney III for you.”  
Her proposition was tempting. Liara was an excellent intel broker, having ears in almost every part of the galaxy. If Cerberus made a peep, she would be the first to know. However, I didn’t have the authority to decide to hold our position. Besides, Versio was already ticked at me; if I arranged a rendezvous without her permission, she would make sure I paid for it.  
“If it were up to me,” I explained, “I’d wait for you to show up. But I need to follow my commander’s orders. I’m sorry, Liara, but there’s nothing I can do.”  
Liara started typing away at a holographic keyboard, focusing her attention on a monitor I couldn’t see.  
“Who is your commander, Spartan?”  
“Iden Versio,” I answered, “why do you want to know?”  
She smirked, “Because she owes me a favor. I passed her intel on Cerberus back when she was a spec-ops trooper. In return, I asked her that she repaid me when I needed her services.”  
I straightened up in my chair. It had been over three years since Versio was an operative, and Liara wasn’t an amazing intel broker back then. So how did the two know of them each other? However, I understood the need to get help from those outside the UNSC and its regulations, especially with black-op raids.  
“You’ll think she’ll do it?” I asked.   
Liara turned her gaze back towards me, “If she doesn’t, her superiors will find out a dirty little secret she’s been hiding.”  
I let out a chuckle, “Blackmailing.”  
“Comes with the job,” she said matter-of-factly, “and I’m very good at my job. I’ll be seeing you soon, Joe.”  
She winked off the monitor, leaving me staring at a blank screen. I leaned in my chair again, looking up to the ceiling. In my mind, I wanted this to be all over. I wanted to be back on the Apache or the field. There was too much waiting around, not doing anything to benefit anyone else. I needed to find something to keep my mind busy.


	7. Chapter 7

Heading down the corridors, I was surprised to see Rex still in full combat gear, guarding the door to the medbay. He stood there, Assault Rifle at the ready, but didn’t look too enthusiastic about it.  
“Why are you guarding the door, sir?” I asked, wanting to know the explanation behind it.  
“Versio wants me on standby,” he explained, “just in case that alien starts going crazy. I’m authorized to neutralize it if the need arises.”  
After my chat with Liara, I knew that wouldn’t be needed seeing that the Manaphy probably wouldn’t even hurt a pyjak. Though, I couldn’t tell Rex, seeing as I had contacted Liara without authorization from the commander. Rex might’ve been lenient on some things, but breaking protocol was not one of them unless necessary. He wouldn’t like that fact that I had talked to someone outside the UNSC about a classified mission.  
I leaned against the bulkhead, “Any incidents so far?”  
“No, unless you count the screaming,” he replied, making it clear that he was pretty annoyed by that sound.  
“To be fair,” I said, “Lexi does tend to be thorough in her exams. Maybe she drew some blood.”  
Rex nodded, “That and probably handled it wrong.”  
Through the walls, I could hear the Manaphy bawling and a pair of muffled voices. Rex let out an irritated sigh, growing more annoyed at the infant.  
“I’m starting to hate that sound,” he admitted through gritted teeth.  
I agreed with him as I too was forced to hear its howl in the night as we made our way back to the Prowler. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal, but as it dragged on and on, I found myself tightening my grip on my rifle.  
Rex turned to me and pointed a thumb towards the door.  
“Go check to see what Lexi’s doing. I can’t take it anymore.”  
He cleared the way to the door, and I reluctantly walked through. Once I crossed the threshold, the door immediately closed behind me. The crying was unmuffled now and seemed to bounce off the walls of the medbay.  
“There, there,” May whispered reassuringly, “it’s okay. It wasn’t too bad.”  
Lexi, holding a vial with blue liquid, walked over to the desk and set it down inside a small appliance, whirring to life as it spun the container around at high speed. She then typed something into her datapad, addressing me without turning around.  
“I’m busy right now. Can it wait?”  
“Rex was just wondering what all the fuss was about,” I explained.  
“Simple blood test,” Lexi said, “that’s all.”  
The Manaphy started to calm down, now whimpering as it dug its face into May’s shoulder. She stroked its back, trying to make it feel secure, but wasn’t getting any result. May seemed to have taken over the role as the Manaphy’s mom, but she seemed reluctant. Things were moving by so fast for her that she might crack at any second. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her head, but something told me she would be able to get through this.  
Lexi then snapped her fingers at me, not wanting me to leave just yet.  
“Have a seat on the other bed; I need to check your shoulder.”  
During the beginning battle of H4-11, I took a shot in my left shoulder from a Spiker round. Nothing too critical but Lexi fussed over it, making sure my ligaments were still attached. I was down for a day but returned to the field the moment I was cleared for active duty again. What used to be a bleeding hole had now turned into a small patch of scarred skin.  
I let out a huff, annoyed that she kept unnecessarily examining it.  
“Lexi, I’m fine! My shoulder’s all healed up now.”  
She pointed towards the bed and with the sternness of an officer said, “Sit. Now.”  
I complied, even though I was against it, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Knowing the doctor would order me to, I pulled up my shirt so that she could examine my new scar. All over my back were cuts that I had acquired over the years. My whole body was covered in marks where my flesh had been sliced, torn, and scrapped open.  
Lexi leaned behind me, and let out an approving grunt.  
“Looks good. It’s almost completely healed over. Any intense pain in your shoulder?”  
“Negative,” I replied.  
“Have you been taking the painkillers I prescribed?”  
“Ziegler told me to stop when we came back from H4-11.”  
“Okay, but did you take them while you were down there?”  
“When I found the time, yes.”  
Lexi pulled away, “Good. You can put your shirt down.”  
I let go, and it fell to my hips. I looked back to May and Manaphy and found May looking...shocked. She stared at me with a wary eye, but I didn’t know what I had done to make her feel on guard.  
“What?” I asked her.  
“You’ve...got so many scars on your back,” she said, “what happened?”  
Now knowing that she was worried about my blemishes rather than me, I felt at ease. Most civilians I met kept me at arm's length because I intimidated them. It didn’t help that I was wearing my MJOLNIR at the time, making me even less human.  
I shrugged my shoulders, down playing my injuries.  
“Oh, nothing to concern yourself about, May. Bryn, Paul, and Sam all have their marks too.”  
That didn’t seem to make her feel any better, as she hugged the Manaphy tighter like it was a stuffed animal. Thankfully, Lexi came to the rescue, asking May something to focus her attention off of me.  
“May, I hear you’re on a pilgrimage. Could you tell me a little more about it?”  
She cocked her head in an I-don’t-know gesture, not having the energy to go into full detail.  
“I’ve been traveling to key tourist locations all over the planet. I was on my way to New Oceanside until...”  
The Manaphy started to act up again, letting out little sobs trying to get May’s attention. She started rocking it in her arms, “Shh, Shh.”  
Lexi walked over to the desk, checking to see if the blood work showed anything. There wasn’t anything ready yet and she turned back towards May.  
“You’re doing very well in your current situation,” Lexi praised, “other people would’ve snapped by now.”  
“Thanks,” May said somewhat somberly.  
“Are you hungry? When was the last time you had something to eat?”  
May shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. I mean, I wouldn’t turn down a snack.”  
Lexi turned to me, “Could you go find her something to eat, please?”  
I stood up, “You got it.”  
I headed out of the medbay and towards the mess hall, hoping to find something that would be enough for May. I looked through the fridge for something small. It was packed to the brim with food, but almost all of it was full meals. Fortunately, I found berries in a plastic container that would be perfect for May. I examined them, checking for any mold buildup, but they looked fresh. I popped one into my mouth to make sure, and it was juicy and sweet, pleasant to the tongue. Seeing that the berries were the only thing that was ready to eat, I took the container back to the medbay, about to find out if it was enough.  
“This was all I could find,” I said, “sorry.”  
May reached out and grabbed the berries. She gave them a quizzical look, unfamiliar with them. May picked one up, and gingerly placed it into her mouth. Her eyebrows went up, and she went for another.  
“These are amazing!” May said, reaching for more of the fruit.  
The Manaphy brought its head out of May’s tear-soaked shoulder and stared at May as she ate. It then looked at the pile of berries, unsure of what to think of them. Seeing this, May held one up to its mouth, “Go on, try one.”  
The Manaphy cautiously grabbed the small red ball and took a tiny bite out of it. It slowly chewed, and for the first time, smiled, then ate the rest of the berry.  
May let out a relieved chuckle, holding up another one to it.  
I watched the tender moment for a few seconds before Versio called me over the PA.  
“264, report to the bridge.”


	8. Chapter 8

The moment I stepped foot on the bridge, it was apparent that Versio wasn’t in a good mood, though I couldn’t remember the last time she was. She always had this look of being permanently irritated. The commander sat in the helmsman’s chair, looking out towards the forest with her face resting against her fist.  
I waited for a short while before I softly said, “You wanted to see me, ma’am?”  
She took in a deliberate inhale through her nostrils, then stood up, placing her hands behind her, taking an officer’s stance.  
“There’s been a development. We’ve been delayed for now, and will have to wait around.”  
I nodded, “Doesn’t sound too bad.”  
Versio turned back towards the viewports, “There’s an asari who might have a clue on what that...thing is. She’s on her way to take a look at it.”  
Liara didn’t mention that I was the one who told her about the Manaphy, for which I was glad. If Versio ever found out was what I did, there would be hell to pay.  
“So, how are we going to proceed?”  
“Since Cerberus will be combing the woods for us,” Versio explained, “T’Soni and I agreed that we head somewhere that’s easy to hide. We’re going to New Oceanside and meet her at the La Vue club.”  
“And how is that a better place than somewhere more isolated?”  
“Haven’t you heard that one of the best places to hide is in plain sight?”  
That did work sometimes, but I didn’t want to be caught in the open, primarily where the was the possibility of collateral damage. Cerberus wasn’t afraid to shoot some civvies since they risked so much assaulting a research facility. Failure was not an option for them, and I had no intention of letting the Illusive Man getting his hands on the Manaphy. The commander was taking a dangerous gamble, and the stakes were high.  
She could tell I wasn’t on board with this plan, raising her hands in a dismissive gesture.  
“Sorry, Spartan. It’s all set up. I was planning to have me and Rex go, but now I’m thinking of bringing you along.”  
“Heh. Think I’ll blend in with my physique?”  
I was skeptical, because the genetic enhancements that all Spartans got made us physically taller than most humans, not to mention the other obvious note of being more physically fit than other muscle bound humans. I was around two meters tall, just like the rest of Saber. I would stick out like a sore thumb if I were to go into the city. Even if I wouldn’t be easy to spot, crowded streets and sidewalks weren’t my thing. I’d spent so much time fighting through abandoned towns that it felt nerve-racking to be in one where there were people around.  
“I want to make sure we’re not going to get jumped by Cerberus,” Versio stated, “and, you’d be helpful in a pinch. Now, you coming or what?”  
I most certainly did not want to go at all. But the commander did make some good points. Cerberus could be lurking in New Oceanside, and if Rex and Versio were going in without any gear, they could use some help.  
“Fine,” I said, “when do we leave?”  
“Tomorrow afternoon. I found some casual clothing for us to wear---should help us look natural. I’ll leave control to the Nomad to Spartan-400 since he’s had experience behind the helm. Get some rest, 264; we have a big day tomorrow.”

I laid on one of the bunks, staring up at the ceiling as Paul and Bryn were debating on what precisely the Manpahy’s purpose was.  
“It’s a weapon,” Paul claimed, “has to be. Whatever that thing is, I bet it’s got the power to wipe out a whole platoon with one attack.”  
“Pfft, seriously, Paul? Do you think that little thing is really a superweapon? Please! I’m going with it being some part of an ancient prophecy. We go to a mysterious planet, find a forgotten temple, and place it on a pedestal, and it’ll save the galaxy from a giant monster.”  
“Right---a weapon.”  
Sam, who was looking at a holo of a female turian with purple face paint, snickered. He was on the bunk below me, offering his own opinion on what the little alien was.  
“It’s a new species. I mean no one knows about it, and there haven’t been any species like it.”  
Paul let out a grunt, “Okay, I can see that, but I still think it’s a means of destruction. Gotta be.”  
Bryn was suddenly staring at me, balancing a foot on the edge of Sam’s bed so that she could be eye-to-eye with me.  
“What do you think, Joe?”  
I lifted my shoulders casually, “Oh, I don’t know. Could be from an ancient race from thousands of years ago.”  
She let out a laugh, finding my answer very amusing.  
“That would be something.”  
Sam crawled out of the bunk, stretching out his back, letting it pop a couple of times before relaxing it.  
“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure we’re going to be told from ONI not even to acknowledge its existence. Just like the other times, we saw things we weren’t supposed to.”  
The door opened, and it surprised all of us when it was May and the Manaphy who came inside. We all thought that she’d be quarantined with it until we got to an ONI station. She was shy, slowly walking into the bunk room, not sure what to think. She looked at everyone besides me since they were out of their armor too. She examined the scars on the other Spartans’ faces, looking mortified. Rex was close behind, waving a hand towards the room.  
“You’ll be sleeping in here tonight. Pick a bunk that isn’t occupied.”  
I was more than curious on why May, especially the Manaphy, weren’t locked up in the med bay anymore. With Rex behind, she must still be under escort, but with more relaxed settings. He didn’t have a gun up, but he was still outfitted in his combat gear. Lexi might’ve cleared May and the Manaphy, seeing as she couldn’t find anything that was a danger to us.  
Paul took a step towards May, “You bunking with us, kid?”  
“I guess I am...”  
“Don’t seem too excited about it.”  
May, shocked, quickly explained what was bothering her.  
“No! No, it’s not that, it’s because...I was just wondering...how did all of you get hurt?”  
To the average person, having as many scars as we did would’ve meant a horrible accident happened. For us, each scar was a memory fixed into our skin.  
Sam pointed a finger up to his brow, where a deep cut had permanently marked him.  
“Got this bad boy fighting an Elite Ultra who had an Energy Sword out. Nearly blinded me in my left eye, but I got lucky. Him, not so much.”  
Bryn rolled up one of her sleeves, pointing to a burned patch of skin.  
“This happened when I got hit with a burst of plasma during a raid on Noveria. Almost melted my armor onto me.”  
Paul pulled up on one of his pant legs, revealing multiple tiny scars on his shin.  
“I was too close to a grenade when it went off. Had to get surgery on it to remove bits of shrapnel.”  
Us explaining how we got our scars wasn’t making her feel any better. She took a step back, almost bumping into Rex. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to steady her from falling over.  
“What’s the matter, kid?”  
She turned to him, “Nothing! It’s just...did they get hurt? Like, bad?”  
Sam let out a hearty laugh, “Of course we did! But it takes a lot more to put us down.”  
Paul nodded, “Amen to that!”  
Rex extended a hand out to us, “See? They’re not like those cliche soldiers you see in the vids. Saber is all human.”  
Rex’s words seemed to resonate with May, because now her horrified expression faded away, being replaced by embarrassment.  
“I didn’t mean to suggest you guys were...”  
“Don’t sweat it, kid,” Bryn said, “here, come on over.”  
She patted on an empty bunk, and May slowly walked over. The Manaphy looked at Bryn with its big eyes, studying the Spartan with curiosity. Bryn met its gaze, a corner of her mouth rising subtly, almost undetectable to anyone else. When May sat down on the bed, she looked all over the room, eyes not keeping still.  
May let out a weak chuckle, “Kinda cramped in this room, isn’t it?”  
I swung off my bunk, “You get used to it after a while.”  
“If you want, kid,” Paul said, “there might be some sleepwear laying around.”  
Before May could object, Sam went off to search for some pajamas so she could feel more comfortable. A few minutes later, he returned with a pair of bright blue bottoms, and a shirt that had the UNSC logo on it. Sam set them down next to May but made it clear that she didn’t have to put them on if she didn’t want to.  
“You’ve all been so kind to me,” May whispered, taking a look at everyone in the room, “thank you.”  
Bryn raised her brows, then walked towards one side of the room. She reached down and hefted up May’s personal bag, the one that carried all of her clothes. Unfortunately, all of May’s pots and pans got riddled with bullet holes when we were ambushed by Cerberus, but we wouldn’t tell her that just yet. Not until we got a better handle on what we needed to do for her. We would compensate her in time.  
Bryn placed the bag on top of the folded night apparel, “Almost forgot about this.”  
May let out a relieved sigh, “Oh! I was wondering where that went.”  
Rex, without any explanation, left the room, not giving any clue on where he was going. It could’ve been that he was needed elsewhere, or possibly that Versio came up to him to brief him on the plan for tomorrow. It wouldn’t be to the ODST captain’s taste, but I knew he would follow the commander’s orders to the letter---it was who he was.  
Sam, already laying back down on his bed, pulled out the holo of the turian again and resumed looking at it.  
“Who is that?” May asked, motioning her head to Sam’s palm.  
Sam let himself show a smirk, “A...very good friend of mine.”  
Bryn and I gave each other a look. Yeah, ‘very good friend’ was one way to say it. Ever since he met her, Sam took a shining towards this certain turian buddy of his. But he knew when and where it was appropriate to think of her, which made the situation tolerable. It was all under the radar; if ONI found out, he could’ve been in some deep trouble. Expected behavior for the Spartan-III’s weren’t as strict as the II’s, seeing as we were mostly trained to die, so we got away with most things. But there were still boundaries that should never be crossed. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure if Sam would be punished for being involved with someone, but also didn’t want to find out the hard way.  
May examined the holo from where she was sitting, curiosity beaming from her tired face.  
“I’ve never seen a female turian before. They don’t have those spiky things?”  
“They do not,” Paul said, “and they also have longer mandibles protruding from the sides of their faces.”  
“Whoa.”  
The Manaphy, who had been staring at Bryn, now started to give the rest of us a wary stare as if we had surrounded it and May for the kill. When it gazed at me, it started to whimper, hugging May’s arms as tight as it could.  
“Hey, don’t be scared,” May assured it, “they’re not going to hurt you.”  
With Saber’s very limited experience on how to appeal towards infants, there wasn’t much we knew on how to comfort the Manaphy and show it we weren’t hostile. Judging by how it reacted when it saw me, the Manaphy might’ve perceived me as the biggest threat.  
“You should rest up, May,” I said, “you’ve had a hell of a night.”  
She nodded weakly, “Yeah...but what’s gonna happen now?   
“We’re going to wait for someone tomorrow, then we’re going to make a quick run back to Reach.”  
“You’ll drop me off at Johto, right?”  
I hesitated, not sure how to tell May that, since she got involved in such a delicate matter, ONI would most likely want to see her. They would want to make sure she wouldn’t go telling the whole galaxy of what she saw. I wasn’t fully certain how they would do it, but I didn’t think they’d use the most extreme method of silencing her.  
“We’ll see how things go, okay?”  
May set the Manaphy down on the end of the bed, untying her bandana from her head and letting it fall to the ground. As she started kicking her shoes off, the Manaphy waddled its way back to May, wrapping its flipper-like arms around her stomach. It then uttered a couple of grunts, like it was saying ‘Muh...’  
“That thing really likes you,” Bryn said, stripping down to a tank top and shorts, her preferred clothing for sleeping in.  
May rubbed her hand over the two antenna like appendages, “I was the first thing it saw. Do...does it think I’m its mom?”  
“Maybe,” Paul grunted as he lifted himself up to the bed above her, “would explain why it cried every time you handed it off to one of us.”  
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Sam reassured, “we’ll get a handle on this.”  
May looked to him, “You sound so sure.”  
“We have to be. Wouldn’t be here if we weren’t.”  
“Right...Spartans and all that. Is all that stuff true?”  
Bryn folded her arms across her chest, “What do you mean?”  
“All those stories of Spartans during the Covenant War. I’ve heard that only ten Spartans held off a Covenant invasion on the planet Typhon.”  
I held my palm flat in the air and wiggled it back-and-forth, “More like ten and a whole battalion of marines.”  
“What about the Sniper of New Harmony?”  
Paul rolled over in his bunk and looked down towards May, “That one is true.”  
Figured he’d say that considering he was the Sniper. For almost six hours, Paul provided incredible marksmanship during the defense of the capital which was noticed by many. He had over fifty confirmed kills from headshots alone, most of them being Covenant officers. Before he could be given his own frigging parade, we all got sent to defend another planet from an attack. Paul was humbled by the name, but thankfully he didn’t let it go to his head...mostly. He did claim that the hero gets double bacon at breakfast.  
Bryn went up to May’s bunk, crouching down so she was eye-level with the Manaphy. It stared right back at her, trying to hide by moving behind May.  
“Now that I look at it,” Bryn said, tilting her head to one side, “it’s quite a cute little thing.”  
She reached her hand out, moving slowly so she wouldn’t startle the Manaphy. Bryn turned her hand so that her palm would touch the cheeks of the tiny alien. She then stopped, keeping back a couple of centimeters so that the Manaphy could choose to meet her palm.  
“Come on, little bit,” Bryn encouraged, “I don’t bite.”  
It stayed back, not moving any closer towards Bryn’s outstretched hand, fearing it was dangerous. The Manaphy gave a look to May, whimpering. She placed two of her fingers in Bryn’s palm, touching it to show that nothing terrible would happen. Not being convinced right away, the Manaphy stayed behind May for protection.  
I patted her shoulder, “Don’t think it likes you, Bryn.”  
“Ah, just give me a moment. It’ll come around.”  
The Manaphy, still cowering behind May, lifted one of its flippers towards Bryn’s hand, slowly giving it a tap, then pulling back swiftly. It waited for her to come after it, but Bryn didn’t move a muscle---she kept her hand in the same position. Watching this unfurl was like watching her defuse a highly-sensitive explosive with no clue on how to do it. I could feel my scalp tensing up, waiting for something wrong to happen.  
“Bryn,” I said, a little more stern, “let it be for now. It’s not going to like you that quick---it takes time.”  
Bryn pulled her hand away, “Fine. Maybe I’ll try later.”  
She then hopped on the bed across from May, going limp once she lay on the mattress. Everyone one else started to settle in for the night, draping blankets over themselves and assuming their preferred positions.  
“You got everything you need, May?” I asked.  
“Yes, I believe so. Heh, all I’m missing is a goodnight hug from my mom.”  
“You need anything, just let one of us know. Don’t be worried about waking us up, okay?”  
May gave one affirming nod, and I crawled back into my bunk, quickly shutting my eyes so I could rest from the day’s events. Even though I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep; multiple questions that I had no answers to kept swimming around in my mind, making me restless. Why was Cerberus after the Manaphy? How did they know about the egg? What was the most pressing was what exactly was the Manaphy’s purpose? Liara said its name meant ‘sea guardian’, so did it have the means to defend itself?  
While I was awake, the Manaphy kept making these noises, almost like it was trying to talk. It kept going ‘Muh...Man...Muh-muh.’ I couldn’t tell if May was asleep or not, but that didn’t really seem to matter. For awhile, I just laid there while it talked, trying to see if I could get what it was saying, but nothing connected. I could feel my body being taken by sleep, and before I nodded off, I wondered what in the galaxy was going to happen now.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning started with the easily recognizable sound of the Manaphy, screaming its head off. Everyone in Saber woke up in a snap, having been trained to be combat-ready whenever there was an unexpected and loud noise that woke us up. Below me, I felt a thud, sending the whole frame vibrating followed by Sam letting out a pained curse under his breath.  
Paul placed his hands over his ears, “Frig, now that’s a wake-up call.”  
“Not as bad as slamming your head into the bunk frame,” Sam muttered.  
Bryn let out an annoyed yawn, “May, get up--your kid wants you.”  
May, not fully awake yet, mumbled something unintelligible as she rose up sluggishly from the bed. I leaned over in mine, trying to see what she was doing. From the best that I could tell, with her arms wrapped around the Manaphy, she was rocking it with little effort.  
Sam was rubbing his head, “Yeesh, need some help?”  
“Won’t do any good,” Bryn reminded him.  
“Right. What time is it anyway?”  
“0614 hours,” Paul answered, “just in time for breakfast.”  
“Is anyone else even up?”  
I hopped down from my bed, “Maybe, but I wouldn’t expect there to be any food ready yet.”  
Bryn bolted out the room, “Dibs taking the first shower!”  
Sam went after her, “Hey! You went first last time!”  
Their yelling echoed through the ship as they fought their way to the shower. Paul let out a loud yawn, rubbing his hand over his stubbled chin. He then twisted his head, making his neck pop and crack, but it was barely audible through the crying.  
I went over to May, her eyes still closed and barely giving the effort to comfort the Manaphy. There was a tightness in my chest, right near the top of my lungs. Without warning or explanation, I reached out and gently pulled the Manaphy close to me, sitting down and pressing it close to my sternum. I didn’t try to say any comforting words, just felt the tiny body heave as it sobbed. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I let the Manaphy cry.  
It went from full-on wailing to sniveling and whimpering in a matter of minutes, unexpectedly resting its head against my chest, dampening my shirt with its tears.  
I finally came to my senses, my sense of logic coming back to me.  
“What...happened?”  
Paul squatted down in front of me, “I think you calmed it down, Joe.”  
“But how? Why?”  
All of my reasoning had vanished during that moment when I took the Manaphy into my arms. I really couldn’t explain myself if someone had asked me why I comforted the Manaphy. It was like I was possessed by a ghost who loved caring for crying infants.  
He shrugged, “I think you better talk to Lexi about that. I’m amazed you got it to stop, considering it didn’t want anything to do with us last night.”  
The Manaphy looked up at me, its eyes dripping water as it stared at me with those big eyes. I could feel my chest tightening, but I couldn’t exactly say why.  
“Maybe you’re right...”  
A tear ran down its cheek, and my thumb wiped it away with the gentleness of a caregiver. I was now growing more worried of why I was suddenly going soft. Thankfully, May was now sitting up in her bed, rubbing her eyes to get rid of the gunk that had crusted over. I quickly handed over the Manaphy to her, and walked over to the med bay, hoping Lexi would have the answers I needed to hear.

“So, you comforted the little alien until it stopped crying, and you don’t know why?”  
Lexi had just barely put on her uniform and was nursing a steaming hot mug of her morning coffee. She sat in her chair, blowing into her cup as she waited for me to answer.  
“Yes,” I admitted, “like I wasn’t even in control of my body. It just...happened.”  
Lexi took a small sip from her coffee, smacking her lips in disgust as she grabbed a little packet of sugar from a drawer on her desk.  
“Ok...I don’t see why you’re so concerned about it.”  
“I’m not the type of person to be comforting babies, Lexi. With kids, sure because they’re scared and often look to us as heroes, but why am I suddenly all soft?”  
“Showing that kind of care isn’t a real bad thing,” Lexi said, stirring as she poured the sweetner into her brew, “in fact, it’s an instinct in humans. You’re at that age where you’d have a kid or two, so maybe it’s being brought out somehow.”  
“But I’m not supposed to have those kinds of impulses,” I pointed out, “I’m a Spartan, and if I allow those feelings to get in the way...things could go wrong.”  
Then, Lexi asked me something that brought back memories I thought I had buried deep enough in my mind that not even an asari mind-meld would find them.  
“Do you think this is related to the attack on Reach, Joe?”  
My mental defenses kicked in, trying to block the events from the near fall of Reach playing in my mind.  
“I...I’d rather we not go there, Lexi.”  
“Of course,” she stated apologetically, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you there. I understand that’s a very sensitive trigger for you.”  
I nodded somberly, focusing all my effort to not let those demons out of their cages. Another reason why I liked Lexi was that she knew not to stick her nose into places where it caused pain for others.  
She set her mug down and picked up her datapad, which was never too far away from her reach. Lexi pressed on it a few times, then handed it over to me.  
“From the tests I conducted yesterday, I found that it has remarkable biotic abilities. It’s mostly concentrated in its antenna, near the bulbs that hang at the end of them. Now I wasn’t able to exactly figure out what abilities they may perform but, and this is a long-shot, they could possibly be linked to why you are suddenly concerned for its welfare.”  
Somehow, that seemed to make sense in my head.  
“Bryn has a completely different attitude when she’s near it.”  
Lexi’s brows raised in surprise.  
“Really? How so?”  
“Well, she called it ‘cute’ and tried bonding with it last night. She was trying to, I guess, pet it?”  
Lexi couldn’t help but chuckle of the idea of Bryn acting all receptive towards an unknown creature, considering that she wasn’t one for bonding with people, much less any living creature.  
“You’re kidding. Bryn, our blood-thirsty Spartan, used the word ‘cute’ without being sarcastic?”  
“She did.”  
Then I saw Lexi smile, something she rarely did. Most of the time, she was all business, didn’t want to waste time with ‘non-essential chit-chat’ as she put it when there were bones to set and medi-gel to apply. The only time where she wasn’t all straight-forward was when she watched her vid-series. Now here she was, flashing a tiny but radiating smile over the fact that Bryn, who could look at a varren puppy and still call it ugly, had called the Manaphy cute.  
“Hmm...maybe there is something about the little creature that somehow makes others less hostile towards it.”  
“So it’s not just me?”  
“I don't think so. I want to do more tests, but my hearing hasn't recovered from the sobbing last night. If you notice anyone else, especially Paul or Sam, acting different when interacting with the creature, let me know immediately so I can get a chance to observe.”  
Somewhat comforted that I hadn’t turned soft suddenly, I exited out of the med bay. Once I was in the hallway, my nostrils were filled with the enticing smell of meat being fried on a stovetop. I wasted no time of heading towards the mess hall, my stomach feeling hollow.

I found myself taking a seat at the dining table, trying to get a good look at what was cooking. From the aroma, I could make a pretty good guess: bacon and hashbrowns. Bryn stood over the hot surface, having her full attention on making sure everything was cooked to perfection. Seeing as though we didn’t bring a cook with us, and with Bryn loving hashbrowns and bacon, she had decided to fill that role. Plus, it was a rule in Saber to switch off cooking breakfast on the field, but only if the means were available and we weren’t in enemy territory.  
“How much longer, Bryn?” I asked, desperate to fill the emptiness that was in my gut.  
“A few more minutes,” she responded, not taking her eyes off from what she was doing like a single glance would ruin the meal of being flawless. It was apparent that Bryn had lost the race for the shower despite having a head start. She had a small drop of blood that hung on the border of her nostril--not precisely having a bloody nose. She and Sam must’ve gotten into a minor scuffle when fighting for the bathroom, but judging by how little she was bleeding, and it wasn’t meant to be an all-out brawl.  
“How’d he beat you?” I asked politely.  
“With a cheap shot,” she grumbled, “that’s how.”  
I let out a short laugh, then the thought of asking Bryn how she felt towards the Manaphy popped into my head. Maybe she could help me figure out why I had suddenly gone all concerned about it. I wandered over to her, cleared my throat and began talking in a low whisper.  
“Hey, Bryn. Last night when you called that blue alien cute did you mean that?”  
She raised one of her eyebrows, giving me a wary stare as if I just asked her what fried Unggoy tasted like.  
“Yeah, I did...why do you ask?”  
“You’re not the type of person who uses that word often. I don’t even remember the last time you found something adorable.”  
Bryn shrugged, “Well, then I guess the little alien has a certain way with me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”  
“And...you’re okay with that?”  
“Sure am.”  
Before I could ask her more questions, she quickly grabbed a platter, and placed the strips of bacon onto it. She then scooped up up the hashbrowns with the spatula she was using, and placed them right next to the bacon.  
“That looks amazing,” I said, letting my eyes feast on the food.  
“Grab a plate,” Bryn said, “and I’ll put ‘em on.”  
I nodded, reaching into one of the cabinets and pulling out a plate. I handed it to Bryn, and she gave me three strips of bacon and two hash brown patties. I nodded my thanks, and took a seat at the dining table as Bryn set the platter in the middle of it.  
“So I overheard the commander saying something about an asari,” Bryn said, “and that she was planning on bringing you and Rex to New Oceanside?”  
“Mm-hmm,” I replied, my mouth filled with delicious potato. I swallowed, biting off a piece of the savory and greasy slice of meat.  
“Why are you three going there?”  
“To pick up our contact,” Versio answered, already dressed for the day, holding her own mug of coffee, “an asari by the name of T’Soni.”  
Rex was not too far behind, but instead of coffee, he had a bottle of water. He wasn’t the type to indulge into what other people consider necessities, like hot caffeinated drinks.  
Bryn took a bite out of a particularly crispy bacon strip, crunching away as she absorbed that fact.  
“Liara? What’s she doing out here?”  
“Dr. T’Soni seems to have an idea of what the alien is. She’s requested that we let her look at it before we hand it off to Sword Base on Reach.”  
“And command gave the ‘OK’ on it?”  
Rex took a long swig from the bottle of water, then cleared his throat.  
“Command...doesn’t exactly know about our meet up...yet.”  
Bryn popped the remaining piece of bacon into her mouth, chewing rather loudly as she mulled that over.  
“Hmm...think we’re gonna get away with that?”  
“If this Dr. T’Soni gives us good intel, then I think Command will let it slide.”  
By that time, Sam, wearing only a towel around his waist and dripping water all over the place, walked in, grabbing a bacon strip with his free hand.  
“Sam,” I said, “put some damn clothes on! I’m trying to eat here.”  
He shrugged, “Hey, boss, no need to make a fuss. I forgot to grab them when I was on my way to the restroom.”  
“Lousy cheat,” Bryn called at him, “play fair next time!”  
He flashed her a mischievous grin, “No one likes a sore loser, Spartan.”  
“Yeah, sore is right! As in my nose is sore from you elbowing it!”  
As he made his way out, he nearly bumped into Lexi, who looked him over for a brief moment.  
Sam flexed his arm, “Like what you see, doc?”  
She smirked, “Nothing I haven’t seen before. Now go put some pants on at least.”  
He winked at her, clicking his tongue, and proceeded down the halls with a confident stride. Of course, this was all for show--he was one of the most humble people I knew. He always acted like an over confident muscle man, but he wouldn’t boast about his strengths for very long.  
Before long, May came in, looking rather...red. She looked straight ahead, having a blank expression, and her cheeks were dark pink. She didn’t say anything, just sat down on the chair next to Lexi, refusing to look anyone in the eye.  
“Lemme guess,” Versio said, taking a small sip of her morning drink, “you ran into him on the way here, didn’t you?”  
May made the tiniest nod, almost undetectable. She looked out into space, staring at nothing as her face still radiated the warm shade of pink.  
“You get used to it,” Lexi said, loading a plate for her.  
May looked at her breakfast, picking up a piece of hash brown, and gave it a cautious bite.  
“How’d you sleep, kid?” Rex asked.  
“I...slept okay.”  
Bryn looked under the table, searching for something.  
“Hey, where’s your little friend?”  
“I...”  
May quickly looked down, noticing the Manaphy wasn’t there. She grew frantic, bolting up from her chair and looking behind her.  
“It was right behind me when I got out of the room! I could’ve sworn it was following me!”  
“Relax,” Lexi eased, getting up and placing a calming hand on May’s shoulder, “it couldn’t have gotten far. Just go back to the bunks and see if it wandered back in there.”  
She nodded and sprinted back towards the crew’s quarters. Versio shook her head in a disapproving manner, not impressed by how careless May was with the Manaphy. She resented the kid’s presence on a warship and how naive May was to the situation.  
“That girl would lose the simplest thing, even if it were tied around her wrist,” she muttered, almost to herself.  
“Commander,” Rex said politely, “I have a question.”  
“Shoot.”  
“Why is the UNSC not sending in more...aggressive means to stop Cerberus here? They’ve, in all respects, might’ve declared war by attacking the outpost, so shouldn’t there be a larger force being mobilized?”  
“In a way, there already is,” Versio answered, “as we speak, there’s a fleet assaulting known Cerberus locations. We were sent to recover the artifact---egg---quietly so that the population here wouldn’t panic.”  
I guess that made sense, not worrying the civilians. News of the attack hadn’t reached the public yet, and probably wouldn’t until everything was under control. Sending us in meant that Command wanted Cerberus dealt with quickly, and quietly.  
May came running back, looking even more scared than she was a few moments ago. She didn’t have the Manaphy with her, which meant she hadn’t found it near the bunks.  
“It’s not there! I looked around, but I can’t find it!”  
Before any of us could make a move, Paul, the last one to come for breakfast, came in. His hair was damp, meaning he had just gotten out of the shower and, unlike Sam, was fully dressed.  
“Looking for this?”  
In his arms was the Manaphy, who was also wet, but for the first time had a smile upon its face.   
May let out a relieved gasp, taking quick steps towards both of them.  
“There you are! Where were you?”  
“It somehow found its way to the shower,” Paul said, “while I was still in there. Gave me quite the spook.”  
I could imagine the look on Paul’s face when he looked down, and it almost made me laugh...almost. Bryn was less focused on keeping her amusement under wraps, letting out a snicker.  
“It didn’t seem to mind,” Paul continued, “in fact, I think the little thing liked it. It just stood there, making these delighted sounds as the water ran over its body.”  
May took the Manaphy in her arms and seemed happy that she was reunited with it. She gave it a slight squeeze, running her hand over its antennae. It appears that this sudden urge of caring for the Manaphy wasn’t just happening to Bryn and me; May was taking on the role of mom. I did wonder what mythical force was driving me, Bryn, and May into liking the Manaphy. It couldn’t have been natural, but I wasn’t an expert on psychology. I just hoped that whatever was causing it wouldn’t be permanent on our minds.  
“You scared me,” May told the Manaphy, “running off like that.”  
“Muh,” it replied, but it sounded like it was trying to say something more...complete? It repeated itself a few more times, and then it finally found the word it was looking for.  
“Mama!”  
Everyone froze in place, and for a moment, everything was quiet. The fact that the Manaphy had said a word in a language we all understood was shocking, almost like it couldn’t have been real.  
“What the hell...” Versio breathed, “did that thing just say?”


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone was quiet, not saying anything in regards to what just happened. I looked to Bryn, who met my eyes and was just as confused as I was. Never before had any of us witnessed such an unexpected scene like the Manaphy knowing a word when it was less than a day old, much less knew how to even talk.  
Lexi was the one who broke the silence, walking up towards May and the Manaphy.  
“Incredible,” she whispered, “that was...incredible! I wish I had recorded that for further reference!”  
“B-but...” May stammered, “how did it learn to say that?”  
Before there could be more discussion, Versio’s Omni-tool chimed a three-note pattern. That indicated that it was a priority message from command. The commander quickly turned towards the bridge so she could listen to it privately. In my gut, I knew that couldn’t have been a good sign.  
Sam came in, thankfully wearing clothes, and looked at everyone in the room, confused about what was going on. He wandered over to the platter of food, picking up the second-to-last hash brown while giving everyone a weary look.  
“What’d I miss?”  
“Mama,” the Manaphy said again, reaching up towards May’s face. Sam paused mid-bite, now understanding why everyone had gone motionless.  
“Aw,” Bryn cooed, “that’s friggin’ adorable!”  
“Yeah, no kidding,” Paul agreed. It appeared now he was falling under the Manaphy’s spell too. Lexi noticed it also and started observing him with a steady eye, mentally taking notes. Even when she wasn’t in the med bay, she was busy dissecting people--their behavior, anyway. Right now, she was probably referencing Paul’s usual routine to see if there was anything different than how he was acting currently.  
I finished off my first hashbrown and went to grab my second one when I felt something overtake my mind. I had this feeling before; drilled into my mind throughout boot camp, it had saved my life more than I could count.  
‘Danger,’ my mind whispered, ‘something’s not right.’  
I snapped my attention towards the door leading up to the bridge, Versio standing tall as if her spine was made of steel. The determined, no, angry, look on her face confirmed my suspicions: something terrible had happened.  
Rex noticed it as well, standing up--almost at attention--watching her, waiting for orders.  
“Listen up, people,” she said crisply, “there’s an emergency.”  
Everyone but May and the Manaphy turned their gaze towards the commander, giving her their full attention.  
“Two Cerberus ships have been spotted in the system,” Versio explained, “and they’re making a run straight towards Sidney III. UNSC cruisers Prosecutor and Lao Tzu, as well as a squadron of Longswords, are moving in to intercept and cut them off. But with the speed those Cerberus cruisers are going, they might pass them.”  
A direct assault was a very bold move, considering it was Cerberus, an organization which operated covertly. The fact that they were sending in a ship to charge at a UNSC planet was not their MO. Either the Illusive Man ordered the warship to make a beeline towards the planet, or it was a Cerberus commander trying to salvage the operation. Still, this was serious.  
“Our contact, Dr. Liara T’Soni, sent a message about 53 minutes ago saying she was nearing the ports. Best guess is she’s landed and is waiting for us to get her out. With the arrival of additional Cerberus forces, the original plan has now changed.”  
“So what’s the play now?” Bryn asked.  
“We don’t infiltrate,” Versio stated, “instead, we’re going straight in. Rex, you’ll be handling T’Soni. Pick two of Saber to go with you and gear up.”  
“Gear up?” Rex asked, a little confused.  
“Ma’am,” Paul said, “wouldn’t that telegraph our presence? If Rex and his team go in there, people are gonna panic.”  
“They’re already panicking--alerts have been sent, and all major cities are getting the civilians to shelter. Nothing will be out the ordinary if there are three more soldiers on the ground. Head to the spaceport, grab T’Soni, and then signal for extraction.”  
“Yes, ma’am!” Rex barked. He pointed at Sam and me, “264 and 602, come with me.”  
Sam and I followed in behind the captain, heading towards the armory to suit up. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to the point where we would need to use our weapons.

The loading ramp lowered itself down as Captain Rex took the lead, Sam and I flanking his sides. The Prowler had positioned itself over a rooftop in the middle of downtown New Oceanside, about a couple blocks away from the spaceport. A few birds screeched as they flew away, spooked that a big object appeared out of thin air. Throughout the city, the wailing of sirens echoed while a flat voice said, “Please report to evacuation shelters in an orderly manner.”  
“Rex,” Versio said over the radio, “I’m patching you in with Dr. T’Soni.”  
“Copy that,” the Captain responded.  
“Call in when you’ve got her, then head to the roof of Milwaukee Innovations for extraction. Get it done soon; there’s no telling if those Cerberus cruisers will break through or not. Versio out.”  
Rex placed a finger up to his helmet, right around where his ear would be.  
“This is Captain Rex, 501st Battalion. Do you read me, Dr. T’Soni?”  
A moment passed by before Liara answered back, sounding relatively calm despite the chaos happening throughout the city.  
“I hear you, Captain. The people here are scared, and we’ve been told to remain indoors. What’s happening?”  
“Cerberus cruisers have been sighted in the system. UNSC brass wants to make sure there’s as little collateral damage as possible, so they’re moving people to cover.”  
The devastation from the Covenant-War made the UNSC implement protocols that made civilians organized and efficient when it came to taking cover and evacuating from large cities. On the streets below, there were lines of people moving towards designated underground bunkers. Police officers and Army troopers in Warthogs made sure the peace was kept.  
“Yes, I see,” Liara replied, “but this situation complicates things.”  
“Hold on, T’Soni,” Rex assured, “we’re on our way. See if you can get to an area where it’ll be easy to find you and let me know when you’re there.”  
“Will do, but please be quick.”  
Rex’s finger dropped from his helmet. He looked to Sam and me, motioning us towards the spaceport.  
“You heard the doctor, Spartans, let’s move. Keep your weapons holstered.”  
We made our way down to the street, going into the building and traversing a spiraling staircase.  
“Looks like the evacuation policy is working out well,” Sam commented, “way better than having civilians figure out how to survive.”  
Neither Rex and I replied, but we shared the same view as Sam. In the war, fleeing civilians would get slaughtered by Covenant forces due to the lack of resources focused on protecting them. I couldn’t count the times I saw plasma burned bodies of men, women, and children litter the streets of cities. It’s not something anyone can ever forget, no matter how hard they tried.  
When we reached the main floor, Rex led us out onto the streets, briskly jogging towards the spaceport. A few police officers tried to stop us, asking us what we were doing here. The troopers told them to let us through, knowing that it is unwise for interfere with Spartan deployments. Penalties for blocking Spartans ranged from fees worth a small fortune to a couple of years in prison. These punishments were harsh, but they were made to get the message across: do not get in a Spartan’s way.  
We went two blocks not saying a word to each other, passing more checkpoints and onlookers. Some people were glad to see us, while others grew nervous because if a Spartan was around, that meant there was big trouble nearby.  
“So how do you two know Dr. T’Soni?” Rex asked, almost out of nowhere.  
“Sir?”  
“From 344, it sounds like all of you are on a first name basis. Just curious on how that happened.”  
Sam looked to me, seeing if I’d fabricate a story since the operation we worked with Liara on wasn’t something we went telling everyone we knew. It was kept on the down low in hopes not to spark any unwanted attention to the parties involved.  
“I’ll tell you later, Captain,” I reluctantly said.  
“Fancy way of saying ‘mind your own business.’”  
Versio got back on the communications channel almost instantly, giving us a status report on the Cerberus cruisers.  
“Rex, one of the cruisers rammed right into the Lao Tzu, making room for the other one. The Prosecutor’s AI has figured out the course heading: it’s making its way towards New Oceanside. Get a move on!”  
“Yes, ma’am, we’re on it. Double-time it, Spartans!”  
“Cerberus is being reckless,” I pointed out, “almost bordering on just being plain stupid.”  
“Well, with my few run-ins with Cerberus,” Rex said, “they don’t act without some protocol. So whatever’s happening up, there must be part of a plan. Keep your eyes peeled.”  
A squadron of AV-22’s, or most commonly known as ‘Sparrowhawks’ or simply ‘Hawks’ zoomed over the skylines, running perimeter checks to make sure no Cerberus fighters or dropships broke through. The Hawks, to me at least, were one of the sexiest aircraft the UNSC had at its disposal. Twin auto-cannons and a Spartan laser made it one effective killing machine. I was lucky enough to be trained to operate the AV-22, and I could remember that being one of the best days of my life.  
“Captain,” Liara called in, “what’s your location?”  
“Nearly there, Dr. T’Soni. We’re moving as fast as we can.”  
I could see the spaceport ahead of us, and it looked uncomfortably calm. Usually, it would be busy with activity, ships coming in and out around the clock. But now there wasn’t anything moving, except for a UH-144 circling the perimeter.  
“Shame about this city,” I said, “it looks like a nice place to spend a vacation.”  
Unlike other cities I’ve seen, New Oceanside was built like an old village: stone buildings, no flashing signs, minimal traffic, and vendor carts. Usually, on other planets, it’d be choked of tall skyscrapers, the air anything but fresh, and people everywhere you looked. I was amazed at how they could live in all this noise for an extended period.  
“It is,” Rex admitted, “I’ve been here once on a vacation. Amazing noodle shops near the beach.”  
“May might want to try them out when we drop her off,” Sam remarked.  
Versio came back on and judging by her tone; she was more than ready for us to get out of there. She kept stating that we needed to leave as soon as we could, but what she meant was ‘hurry-the-hell-up.’  
When we reached the entrance to the spaceport, an Army Corporal stopped us, saying that the building was sealed off and that no one was allowed to enter. I found it funny that Versio didn’t tell the local forces here that we were coming. The other soldiers gave us no trouble, so I thought that meant the commander let the officers down here know.  
“We’re here to extract an asari doctor,” Rex said, “top priority from Commander Versio.”  
“I’m sorry, Captain,” said the Corporal, who had the name ‘Denali,’ stenciled onto his chest plate, “but orders are to keep this area on lockdown. There’s a possibility of hostile infiltrators still in the spaceport, and we’re here to make sure they don’t get away.”  
Sam went up to him, “This is important. I’m sure your CO will understand for letting Spartans in.”  
Unlike civilians and non-military personnel, soldiers couldn’t be penalized for getting a Spartan’s way because they might have been under orders or following standard operating procedures.  
“Well...”  
Denali looked at Sam and me, then held up one finger.  
“Let me check with the Lieutenant.”  
Denali spoke into his headset, telling the Lieutenant about us when Sam looked up and shook his head.  
“Aw crap.”  
Rex, Denali, and I craned our heads up to see what Sam was looking at. Above us, getting closer at an alarming speed, was a squadron of Cerberus fighters. They were diving, their noses aimed downwards, and it appeared they’d slam right into the ground. All of us instinctively ducked as, at the last moment, the fighters pulled out of their dive and screamed right above us. We watched them fly over some of the buildings, splitting up in several directions as Hawks chased after them.  
Rex then looked Denali in the eyes, placing a finger on the trooper’s chest.  
“Listen, Corporal, I don’t care what your Lieutenant says, but we’re going in. I’m only going to say this once: move!”  
Without a moment’s hesitation, Denali got out of the way, pointing up towards the entrance. Rex motioned for Sam and me to move in, running up the stone staircase and bursting through the door and into the lobby.  
“T’Soni, this is Rex. We’re inside the main spaceport building. Where are you?”  
The three of us waited there as a crowd of concerned people from every species in the galaxy huddled around vid screens that were broadcasting on what was happening. There was a murmur when the screens flashed images of one of the Cerberus cruisers crashing into the Lao Tzu. Armed guards were stationed around, scanning their eyes over the sea of bodies to find any suspicious looking individuals. More than a few glanced our way as we stood there.  
“I’m at bay C-19,” Liara responded.  
I spotted a sign with the letter ‘C’ written on it, and below it were bays C-1 to C-20.  
“Captain, down there!”  
Rex nodded, “We’re on our way to you, T’Soni, get ready to move.”  
The three of us sprinted down the hallway, brushing past tourists and travelers who were standing around. On the right were the even numbers while on the left were the odds. The doors leading to the bays passed us in a blur as we quickly moved towards C-19. Some of the travelers that we ran by let out gasps, startled that we were bounding down the hall. There was one or two that threw curses at us for nearly pushing them out of the way.  
We slowed down when we passed C-17, then stopped right in front of where Liara had said she was.  
“T’Soni, we’re here,” Rex huffed, “let’s go!”  
Almost instantly, the familiar frame of the asari archeologist came racing towards us. Instead of her green-and-white lab clothing that I associated her with, Liara wore something closer to what sailors in the Systems Alliance Navy and human C-Sec officers wore and had a military backpack on.  
She gave Sam and me a look, and nodded, “Good to see you, Spartans. It’s been awhile.”  
Sam patted her shoulder, “Same here, Liara. Staying out of trouble?”  
“Obviously not judging from our current situation.”  
“Hate to interrupt,” Rex barked, “but we’ve gotta get out of here now!”


	11. Chapter 11

All four of us hurried down the staircase that led to the lobby, the sun shining bright in the sky. If there was no Cerberus here, then the day would’ve been beautiful.  
I then noticed that there wasn’t any visible damage from the enemy fighter squadron. There should’ve been smoke rising from the city seeing as the Cerberus pilots came in for a strafe. Then again, they only flew in for a moment before jetting off with the Hawks going after them. Maybe they drove Cerberus off? They could’ve easily shot them down over the bay, but something didn’t add up.  
“Commander, Rex here. We’ve got T’Soni and are moving towards the extraction point.”  
Rex ards took point again, leading us going right towards a tall building--Milwaukee Innovations, just a quick jog away. We ran along the sidewalk, which had already been cleared of civilians, and were making great time. I estimated that we’d be back onboard the Nomad in less than an hour.  
“I understand you might know what we’ve picked up,” Rex said, directed towards Liara, “am I right?”  
“I’m fairly certain, Captain, that it’s a Manaphy. I can explain more once I see it for myself.”  
Sam turned his head towards Liara, confused on the name.  
“Mana-what?”  
“Manaphy. It’s an asari word for ‘sea guardian’ or more commonly, ‘guardian of the sea.’ It’s an aquatic creature, but from what I’ve found out, it can live on the land if it’s close to a water source.”  
“Explains why ours followed Paul into the shower.”  
Rex made us cross over to the other sidewalk, that way we’d be on the right side of the street when we reached the building.  
“Where’s Paul and Bryn?” Liara asked.  
“On the ship,” I said, “along with Commander Versio, Manaphy, and a civilian named May.”  
“Why do you have a civilian with you?”  
“Enough,” Rex growled, “we’ll have time to answer questions on the Nomad. Until then, we focus on getting to Milwaukee Innovations and making sure we don’t get dive bombed by those fighters.”  
And with that, we continued our jogging towards the extraction point. None of us made a single noise, excluding the panting from Liara as whatever was in her pack was weighing her down. When she started to lag behind, I moved in behind her and took the it off her, slinging it around my shoulder. It was heavier than I expected, but I pushed on, not losing my pace.  
“Please be careful with that,” Liara begged, “it’s got some sensitive equipment in there.”  
“Careful is my middle name,” I joked.  
Ahead of us, the Milwaukee Innovations came into view, towering in the sky. It, unlike the other buildings around, was made of metal and steel. It was a modern looking skyscraper, but it seemed out of place with the old-fashioned buildings around.  
There weren’t any troopers or police officers around, so it might’ve been all cleared out. The four of us reached the entrance, a pair of glass doors, and Rex pulled on the door’s handle, but it didn’t move. Locked.  
“Alright, let’s look for another--”  
Sam went up to the entrance, then kicked the glass with little effort and the door shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Liara and the captain stood there in shock, while Sam moved in through the door’s frame, crunching glass beneath his feet. Rex looked at me and I shrugged, not really questioning Sam’s solution to the locked entrance. It got us in, so what was the big deal?  
Liara went over to the elevators, pressing the button that would call one to our floor. A red light illuminated around the rectangular shaped button, and a feminine voice said, “Main floor, going up.”  
“Well, that’s good,” Liara said, “I was worried we’d have to take the stairs.”  
“Hey, if we did,” I added, “you’d have your daily cardio done.”  
“I believe jogging all the way here was enough.”  
Rex looked at the floor, his visor masking his face. Though, judging by his body language, something was on his mind.  
Sam saw this too, and asked what was the matter.  
Rex depolarized his visor, then said, “When those fighters came in, they didn’t shoot at anything. All they did was have the Hawks chase them. Almost like that was what they were planning to do.”  
“You’re saying they were a distraction?”  
“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking.”  
The elevator doors peeled open, and we made our way inside. I pressed the button that would take us to the top floor, and we slowly accelerated up.  
“Rex,” Versio called in, “where are you?”  
“On our way up, Commander. We’ll be on the roof in less than five minutes.”  
“Cerberus dropships got through,” Versio said, “but they haven’t deployed any troops yet. They’re flying low to the ground like they’re searching for something.”  
Sam let out an unamused puff, “Us.”  
I shook my head in disbelief, “You’ve gotta be kidding.”  
“That’s a negative, Spartan,” Versio said, “they’re south of your position, but they’re not moving any closer. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to avoid them.”  
“Understood, Commander,” Rex said.  
The elevator car slowed down, then the automated voice said, “45th floor. Have a pleasant day!”  
When the metal doors opened, we rushed out, making our way to the roof. We maneuvered around cubicles and desks, went over to a maintenance corridor, and found an access way to the ceiling. Again, the door leading outside was locked, but fortunately, a well-placed boot sent it flying off its hinges, and we were able to get out.  
“Commander,” Rex barked into the radio, “we’re here! Bring her in.”  
Without a moment’s hesitation, the Prowler appeared, with the loading ramp extended. When it was in reach, we bolted up, and then Versio pulled out, shooting towards the sky.

Liara sat on one of the chairs in the mess hall, pack in her lap as she rummaged through it to find something. Sam, Rex, Bryn, and I were huddled around her, waiting to hear what she had learned about the Manaphy. Paul went to fetch May and the Manaphy, but he was taking his time. Sam and I hadn’t changed out of our armor, but I held my helmet in my arm.  
Liara pulled out a stack of datapads, placed them on the floor gently, then continued looking. She let out a whispered ‘ah-ha,’ then proceeded to bring it out. In her palm was a metal ball almost the size of a grape. She pressed a finger on it, then the ball started to float, then proceeded to project numerous pictures: ancient wall writings, full-length research papers, ocean landscapes, and various Forerunner symbols. The projections then began to orbit around the ball, then extend to a size where we could read the notes Liara had written below them.  
“Damn,” Bryn breathed, “that’s a crap-ton of boring stuff.”  
“It might be boring,” Liara said, “but these are the best I could find with any information on the Manaphy.”  
Paul came in with May, who was cuddling the Manaphy in her arms. When Liara saw it, she gasped, her eyes seeming to pop out of her head. She slowly made her way towards May, who was looking very uncomfortable with the asari coming in close.  
“May,” Paul said, extending a hand, “this is Dr. Liara T’Soni.”  
Liara snapped out of her admiration, looked May in the eyes, and offered a polite smile, bowing her head a few centimeters. She then extended her hand for a shake.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
May reached out and gave it a cautious shake, returning a polite, yet wary smile of her own.  
“You’re also a doctor?”  
“Not a medical one, I’m an archeologist. I study remnants of ancient civilizations, trying to figure out what their lives were like.”  
May nodded, “Oh, okay. So, you search through tombs and stuff?”  
“Well, not exactly.”  
Sam had noticed something on the various projections, pointing at one in particular.  
“What’s this cave drawing all about?”  
“Which one?” Liara asked.  
“The one where there’s a giant crystal in the middle and what looks like a bunch dead asari?”  
Liara turned around and examined the picture Sam was talking about.  
“Oh, that one talks of a crystal of great power that can corrupt the minds of even the purest-hearted.”  
“And that’s all related to our current situation how?”  
Before Liara could answer, the Manaphy started saying, ‘Mama,’ to May again, which of course got the attention of the archeologist. She whipped back around, fully focused on the Manaphy wiggling and...laughing in May’s arms.  
“By the Goddess. It can talk?”  
“Well,” I added, “that’s the only thing it knows how to say.”  
“Still, with it being less than a week old, that’s amazing.”  
Liara turned her focus on May, “And it thinks you’re its mother?”  
May blushed, most likely from being put on the spot. From the brief time, we knew her; it appeared May was a shy girl at first but would warm up to people rather quickly given the right circumstances. She was already becoming friends with Bryn, which was no easy feat. I wondered how she would do with Liara.  
“I...well, yes. I was the first thing it saw when it was born.”  
“Cried when someone else held it,” Sam added, “but calmed back down with May.”  
“Until this morning, when Joe held it.”  
“That’s remarkable,” Liara said, “what else have you learned?”  
“Lexi T’Perro, our medical officer, ran some tests on it,” I said, “so maybe ask her?”  
Versio finally decided to show herself, having put the Nomad on autopilot. She had the usual scowl on her face, but when she looked at Liara, it seemed to soften. From the little history between them, it was surprising how the commander showed respect towards Liara, who had blackmailed her into picking her up. There must’ve been more to the story, but I didn’t think Versio would be kind enough to let me in on more of the details.  
“Nice of you to join us,” Versio said to Liara.  
Liara nodded, then the commander walked in the middle of the group, carefully passing May in the process. Once she got there, she started putting on that authoritative voice that she seemed born to use as Versio began to explain what our next plan of action was.  
“Now that Cerberus is here, it’s time for us to leave. We’re going to head to Tribute, where we’ll receive further instructions. It looks like Command is scrambling to figure out how to best handle our situation.”  
Tribute was just a few slip-space jumps away from Sidney-III. Getting there wouldn’t be much too much of a trip. At most, we’d be traveling for a day, or two if we took a different route. I was mildly eager to know what the brass wanted to do with the Manaphy, now that it hatched from the egg. It had been a while since humanity ran into a new species, but it didn’t appear that the Manaphy was looking to wage war. Now, there was still just one unresolved issue we had on our hands: how were we getting May home?


	12. Chapter 12

Sam and I had wandered over to the armory to get our MJOLNIR off. Two Brokkr Armor Mechanisms had been installed, but they weren’t as high-tech as the ones the UNSC Infinity had. Instead of spinning us around as the mechanical arms attached the pieces, we would just stand there, which wasn’t nearly as exciting. Also, it took a little bit longer to get all suited up. The newer and more high-tech mechanisms would have us be done in under three minutes, but on the Nomad and the Apache, it took around six. Sam and Bryn would listen to their ‘power-metal’ when getting ready, as it ‘pumped them up.’ I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed listening to it too. By the way, Sam was drumming his fingers and bouncing his head; I’d say he was listening to his favorite song, which was about the Swiss guard in 1527.  
A knock on the door caught my attention.  
“Come in,” I hollered, not in any position to go see who it was. The robot arms were in the middle of unfastening the armor on my legs, so unless I wanted to damage the costly equipment, I had to stay put.  
The door made a hiss when it opened, and a pair of footsteps circled behind me until I was face-to-face with our tagalong teenager.  
“How’s it going, May?”  
Strangely, the Manaphy wasn’t with her. My best guess was that either Bryn or Paul had it, but then I spotted it following May like a duckling. The Manaphy went over towards the wall of the armory, looking at all the rifles that were stocked. Luckily, the guns were way out of its reach, but that still didn’t stop May from warning it.  
“No-no-no, those aren’t for you.”  
The Manaphy turned away from them and shambled its way towards her. Sam had noticed the two of them, popping out one of his earbuds so that he could listen in to what was going on.  
The armor on my legs came off, and I was free to walk around. However, I stood in place, waiting for May to explain why she came in. I was a little suspicious of why she was in the armory, a place where only authorized personnel were admitted. Only the CO could give that authorization, and it didn’t seem like Versio to give a kid free access for the room where we keep all our guns and armor.  
“How’d you get in here, May?”  
“Oh! Paul let me in after you said to come in.”  
“Okay, but, and I’m not meaning to be rude, why are you in here? This is a sensitive area.”  
May grew a little nervous, “Uh, I wanted to ask you something. I tried asking the commander, but she told me to wait. I then tried asking Paul and he said that I should ask you. And the Manaphy didn’t want to be left alone so...”  
“Hm. Alright, what’d you wanna ask?”  
“Well,” she hesitated, “...I am wondering how you’re getting me home.”  
I was too, but I wasn’t confident we would be heading back to Sidney III for a while, which meant I’d have to break it to her.  
“You see, May, that’s going to be tricky. We need to get the Manaphy over to the Office of Naval Intelligence, and since it's quite attached to you, it looks like you might be stuck with us for a while. I’m sorry.”  
May stared me down with a vacant stare like she was looking through me rather than at me and there was an awful feeling in my chest--making it feel heavy. A part of me wanted to give her a reassuring hug, but the other shot it down before I could act on it. I wasn’t sure if it would be helpful, seeing as she was here because of me. If I hadn’t gone up to her in the woods, maybe she’d be in Johto by now.  
“Hey, don’t sweat it, kid,” Sam encouraged, “it’s not going to be that bad. Think about it: instead of going to a new region, you’re going to a different planet! Plus, Tribute is the heart of the UNSC economy. One of the cities is just a giant mall since it’s got so many stores.”  
May’s eyes perked up, “Really? You mean I could do some shopping?”  
“Yep.”  
“New outfits? Swimsuits?”  
“Stores like that go as far as the eye can see.”  
Sam had a way of cheering May up whenever she felt upset. He was more in-tune with how non-combatants think, which made him more approachable than the rest of us. I was decent on talking to civvies, but not as good as Sam was.  
May clasped her hands together, “Well...I guess that’s not too bad.”  
“Mama?”  
May turned towards the Manaphy, calling to her. She knelt, so she was almost eye-to-eye with it.  
“Yes, Manaphy? What is it?”  
It tilted its head, then shuffled over towards her. It hugged her leg and gave Sam and me that wary look again. May scooped it up into her arms and held it right up to me.  
“This is Joe,” she pointed out, “he’s nice. Can you say ‘hi’ to Joe.”  
I showed off a friendly grin, “Hello, Mana-”  
A stream of bubbles came pouring out of its mouth, floating up to the ceiling and bursting into oblivion. Then the Manaphy did it again, except this time the bubbles came right at me. A few popped on my face, while the others just blew past me. For a moment, I was knocked off my guard. The total unexpected hail of bubbles not just surprised me, but also Sam and May.  
“Well...that was new.”  
“Did it throw up on you?” Sam asked.  
“Maybe?”  
“I think it said ‘hello,’” May giggled.

Liara wasted no time in finding a place to sleep. Rather than bunking with everyone else, she decided to set up in the communications room. She didn’t seem to mind that it didn’t offer a lot of elbow room because the only thing she cared about was that it had privacy. Liara was always a little shy, at least that’s what I guessed. She never really was the one who put herself out there.  
Versio piloted us towards the mass relay, a giant device that could teleport starships all over the galaxy in the blink of an eye, and we shot off towards Tribute. We were able to avoid whatever Cerberus forces had showed up, thanks to the cloaking ability. While they scrambled to find us, we sped towards Tribute. The journey would take one day, and there was enough to do on board to keep ourselves entertained. Bryn had found a deck of cards in the crew quarters, which quickly killed a few hours. I lost more credits than I was proud to admit. What made it worse was that I lost some to Lexi, who rarely even played cards. When I asked her how she was so good, she simply replied, “I have more degrees than you have fingers.”  
May didn’t seem to like being crowded on board a warship. She would pace around the ship like she was trying to find a way out. Bryn was able to calm her down, letting her know that May would get used to being cramped and the way to help it was to keep her mind busy. When May asked how she could stay occupied, Bryn taught her a simple card game: solitaire. It seemed to be going well, because when I passed them one time, Bryn was in the middle of telling May about some of the ‘shenanigans’ she wound up in.  
“Needless to say, I ended up leaving a dent in the Warthog. And boy was Rex pissed; had me buff out all the scratches to the paint job.”  
May giggled, “Really? How long did it take you?”  
“Longer than I hoped. Oh, sorry two colors can’t be touching each other.”  
“But where else am I supposed to put this one? This game makes no sense!”  
“Heh. True, but it’s addicting as hell--well for me.”  
The Manaphy was there too and somehow managed to learn to say the first part of, I guess, its name.  
“Mani,” it said to Bryn.  
“Exactly,” she humored, “and don’t get me started on Spider.”  
I almost didn’t recognize Bryn at that moment. The Bryn I was used to was sullen and didn’t like anyone but me, Sam, and Paul. Now, here she was teaching a girl she had barely known for a couple of days how to play a card game while acting nurturing towards an ancient species. If I weren’t mistaken, I’d have said she smiled more. It was nice seeing her having a more pleasant attitude, but I was worried that it might affect her in combat. That was until an hour later when she started swearing at Sam again; then my worries were put to rest. The old Bryn was still there, just more relaxed when she was around our guests.  
After observing the Manaphy for a while, Lexi hypothesized that there was some, for lack of a better word, signal that made it so any living thing would bond with it. The closest example she could come up with was how a rachni queen could control her workers through a telepathic song. I hadn’t heard any ‘singing’ in my head, but I did notice that all of us were getting more attached to it, except Rex and Versio. They weren’t around it as much as the rest of us were, which meant that ‘bond-song’ didn’t have a hold on them.  
When we were about ten hours away from Tribute, most of us went to get some shut-eye. Our meeting with ONI was drawing nearer, and they were most likely going to be drilling us with classified orders. May was nervous, meeting the black-ops division of the UNSC. Everyone had heard rumors of civilians who saw something they shouldn’t have disappearing. I reassured her that it was all just nonsense, but I didn’t tell her that they weren’t above doing whatever was necessary to tie up loose ends.


	13. Chapter 13

“UNSC Nomad,” a voice said through the bridge’s comm-system, “you’re cleared for landing with ONI Phi Station. Proceed to Landing Pad 14.”  
“Understood,” Versio replied, “have the security detail know we have a civilian with us.”  
“Yes, Commander.”  
It was an overcast day as the Nomad flew towards ONI Phi Station, a research-and-development lab that was built like a fortress. The main complex was 5 kilometers underground, making it virtually impregnable. The only way to get down there was a series of elevators and lifts that were under guard at all times. And if that wasn’t enough, the platforms were protected by heavy anti-air guns, able to zero in on a target quickly, thanks to VI assisted targeting computers. When ONI wanted something protected, they spared no expense.  
Versio adjusted the Prowler’s flight path and began the descent.  
“264, is the rest of Saber geared up?”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
Before going into the atmosphere, Versio ordered us to armor up. We weren’t expecting trouble, but with Cerberus out there, one could never be so sure. Also, not everyone would be going into Phi. Liara wasn’t even supposed to be here, so Rex offered to stay behind and keep her under watch so the security team wouldn’t need to. Liara had transferred everything she had on the Manaphy, as well as what Lexi found out, to a datapad, then gave it to Versio so she could show ONI.  
“Good. What about the girl?”  
I laid my palm out flat and waved it side-to-side.  
“She’s ready, but also terrified. May’s heard a lot of rumors about ONI, and none of them are good.”  
“Make sure she doesn’t wander off or touch anything. Assign two of your team to keep her under watch.”  
“You think she’s that much of a threat?”  
Versio gave me a severe look, “No, I think she needs to feel safe.”  
Despite the commander’s objection for bringing May aboard, I was not expecting her to be worried about the girl’s emotional well being. If she wanted May to feel like she was protected, then maybe she didn’t entirely resent her after all. Perhaps that bonding song the Manaphy projected was starting to take hold of her mind.  
“Understood, Commander.”  
I made it towards the loading ramp, where Saber and May stood waiting for the cargo ramp to lower. May was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind, whimpering as she hugged the Manaphy close to her, like a stuffed bear. I went up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She let out a startled yelp, turning around and looked up to my visor.  
“Oh, it’s you. Sorry about that.”  
“You doing alright, May?”  
She shook her head vigorously, “No! I’m not! We’re going to ONI!”  
“Oh, don’t worry about it. As long as you do as instructed from them, they’re not going to hurt you. Plus, Versio told them that you’d be with us, so you’re golden.”  
“Yeah,” Bryn added, “and even if they try to take you, we’ll make sure you’ll be treated right.”  
May let out a frightened squeal when Bryn talked about them taking her. She quickly realized this and said, “But that’s not going to happen.”  
“Smooth,” Paul chided.  
She flashed him a vulgar sign with her middle finger, Bryn’s default response to whenever Paul teased her. Sam was amused, pointing at Paul and laughing at him.  
“Lock it down, team,” I ordered, “we’re going to be under observation from the Spooks. Let’s be on our best behavior.”  
All three of them stood straighter, “Yessir.”  
“Spooks?!” May asked, terrified again.  
“Sorry,” I said, “poor choice of words.”  
The deck below us sunk in, then bounced us up as we landed. We could hear the gears whir as the loading ramp extended, then stop. That reminded me of what I had came down to do.  
“Sam and Bryn,” I barked, “I want you two to keep an eye on May and the Manaphy. Make sure they don’t get swarmed by ONI scientists.”  
“Got it, boss,” Sam replied.  
Versio joined us, hands clasped behind her back as she took point. She stared straight ahead, not giving any focus to the rest of us. Paul took up her left flank while I got her right, then the doors opened up. As Versio made her way down, the rest of us followed, ready to meet the UNSC’s black ops.

The landing pad had a squadron of ONI security, clad in black body armor and reflective visors. Each one carried an assault rifle and had ammo pouches all over their chests. Standing in the middle of the squad was a man dressed in a midnight dark uniform, with the ONI logo patched onto both of his arms. His hair was gelled, and he had a small, arrogant smirk plastered on to his face.  
“Sheesh,” Paul said over the private communications, “this guy looks like a tool.”  
“Cut the chatter,” I growled.  
Versio led us up to the security team, but May was now frozen stiff. She stopped about halfway down the ramp, prompting Sam to gently take her shoulder and guide her the rest of the way. Her fear was rubbing off on the Manaphy, as it started to whine, then weep. May tried to calm it down but to no avail. Regardless, Versio didn’t break her stride and continued onward.  
The Spook brushed past the guards, “Commander Versio. Welcome to Phi Station.”  
Versio snapped off a quick salute, as did Saber.  
“Reporting as ordered.”  
“If you’d please follow me, Rear Admiral Kirkland is awaiting to debrief you.”  
The Spook was now the one who was in front, taking us towards the elevators that would lead down into the main facility. As we passed the guards, some of them turned their heads at the Manaphy, not sure what to make of it. The Manaphy refused to calm down, even with May comforting it.  
“Shh. Everything’s okay, shh.”  
We proceeded into an elevator car that had padded seats. When we were all seated, the doors silently closed and we began to descend deep underground. The crying became worse as we went down, as did May’s stress. She now begged the Manaphy to stop, tears beginning to well up in her eyes too. Bryn stepped in, coming to May’s rescue by taking the Manaphy and bouncing it on her knee.  
“Hey, little thing, it’s alright,” she soothed, “it’s all okay.”  
Bryn was able to radiate a peaceful nature, showing the Manaphy there was no danger. As a result, it went to sleep, wearing itself out from the crying. May let out a massive sigh of relief, “Thanks, Bryn.”  
The Spook gave Bryn a suspicious look. Spartans had serial numbers, not names, so seeing a civilian call her that drew some unwanted attention. The agent furrowed his brow at Bryn. Her visor reflected his gaze at him as if she was the one who was glaring. For many Covenant, Cerberus, and Banished, that was the last thing they ever saw.  
Ten minutes had passed since the elevator started going down when we reached Phi Station’s main complex. The moment I stepped off the elevator, I could feel a dozen eyes fall onto the group as we passed through. Scientists in the windowed off labs raised their heads from whatever they were working on to look at us. I was able to make out from hushed voices that they were all wondering about the Manaphy, fast asleep in Bryn’s arms.  
“What does the Admiral have planned?” Versio asked, giving no attention to the growing number of onlookers.  
“He’ll discuss it with you,” the officer said, “but it’s a need to know. The Spartans, the alien, and the civilian will wait while the Admiral debriefs you.”  
“Really? Thought you Spooks would be eager to take it and dissect it.”  
“Phi Station, advanced as it is, doesn’t have all the...required technology it needs to get a full understanding of this thing.”  
“It’s a Manaphy,” May said, rather defensively despite being scared witless, “not a 'thing.’”  
Versio wheeled around, glaring daggers at May.  
“That’ll be all, girl,” she hissed.  
It might’ve not looked like it, but Versio was trying to help May. Mouthing off to an ONI officer wasn’t a real good idea. I tried explaining May’s rashness carefully.  
“What the civilian means is...’”  
The Spook let out an unimpressed grunt, then continued leading the way. We were lucky that was all he did; I wasn’t too thrilled to see what could’ve happened if May continued to scold the officer.  
When we finally reached our destination, only Versio went in through the door. The rest of us were guided to what was a glorified waiting room. We sat on cushioned chairs while an aide that looked pissed off at everything brought us snacks and drinks. Eventually, the Manaphy woke up and was thirsty. Liara mentioned back on the ship that it was a water-creature, and not being wet made it quite uncomfortable. May, having had time to decompress, gave it three full water bottles before it was satisfied. She even poured some onto the Manaphy, which made it visibly happier.  
Waiting for Versio wasn't all that fun. Saber and I just sat there anticipating the moment the commander would come out of her debriefing with the Admiral and tell us our next set of orders. Now that a couple of days had passed with no action, I'd have been lying if I said I didn't want to get back fighting the Banished. They might not be as numerous as the Covenant, but they were more savage. The ape in charge, Atriox, was having a field day scavenging what the Covies left behind: weapons, surviving soldiers, and ships. Once again, UNSC planets were under threat from aliens, and most hadn't fully recovered from when we were fighting the Covenant. At least this time, we're not the only ones in this war; our unlikely allies, the Swords of Sanghelios, were also taking the Banished on. At least the hinge-heads were killing the bad guys now.  
"How much longer is Commander Versio going to be?" May groaned, laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Patience didn't seem to be one of her talents.  
"Don't know, kid," Paul replied, "could be awhile."  
Sam nodded, "These kinds of meetings usually last a couple of hours."  
"Yeah, and they're not that great to be in either."  
May let out another disheartening groan, "Aw, man."  
"Could be worse," Bryn pointed out, "you could be answering questions from the Admiral."  
I knew little about Rear Admiral Kirkland, but the fact he was with ONI said a lot about him. My best guess was that he was a 'results-at-all-costs' kind of guy, willing to risk everything for the greater good of those in the UNSC. I pictured a middle-aged man with graying hair with a steely expression. There was a good chance that was what Kirkland looked like, seeing as how most of the admirals fit that description.  
"If this goes on any longer," May sighed, "I'd be okay with it."  
"Ha," Sam barked, "trust me, you wouldn't. I think trudging through a swamp is..."  
The doors let out a soft hiss as they opened, and the more than welcome sight of Versio made May shoot up from the floor and shout, "Yay!"  
"Don't celebrate too soon," Versio said, "we're not done yet."  
May fell back onto the floor, moaning, "Nooo..."  
Versio shook her head, then turned towards us Spartans.  
"Where's the Admiral sending us, ma'am?" I asked.  
"For the first time in history," Versio said, "ONI doesn't have a clue on what to do. We're grounded until they can figure out just where to send the Manaphy."  
"What about those on the Nomad?"  
"They're to remain on board."  
Hearing that not even ONI knew what to do was strange. The Spooks had a plan for almost every possible scenario, so catching them unprepared was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event. Not sure if it was a promising one or a warning for what was waiting for us on the road ahead.


	14. Chapter 14

"Once our right flank fell," Paul told May, "that's where things got really ugly."  
Still in the waiting room, Saber was taking turns telling May war stories from the Covenant War to keep her from going insane. Versio had again left, something about 'grabbing equipment.'  
Paul recalled the events of the Siege of Paris IV, a significant ground campaign that resulted in the whole colony getting destroyed from Covenant plasma bombardment, known as 'glassing.'  
May sat on the floor, facing Paul and absorbing every detail as if she was watching it happen before her eyes.  
"Covies start swarming in and getting up close and personal. Most of us were out of ammo, so we fought them by using whatever we could find. I saw some marines use their guns as clubs, while others used plasma rifles and pistols dropped from fallen enemies. The only thing I had on me that wasn't broken was my combat knife, so I used it to carve through whoever was dumb enough to try to fight me hand-to-hand."  
I wasn't with Paul when all of that unfurled, I was busy fighting Elites in urban combat in a town just South from his position. While I was pinned down in a greenhouse, Paul sliced and diced his way through Grunts, Jackals, and Elites. Sam and Bryn were 18 klicks out West, assisting with evacuating the last of the civilians. Paul and I were buying them time, making every second count.  
"Then comes this big Brute, busting through the walls, and grabs my throat, then slams me onto the ground and begins choking me, one-handed. I started stabbing the Brute's arm, but that big monkey wouldn't let go."  
Before Paul could explain how he got free, which was by cutting through the Brute's arm until he got to the nerves, a different Spook from the one that met us on the landing pad came in. He had a forced smile as if he resented having to assist us.  
"Good news," he said, "Rear Admiral Kirkland has authorized the Nomad for departure."  
"To where?" I asked, wanting to know what ONI was going to do. Were we heading back to the front? No, not with May and the Manaphy-- that'd make no sense.  
"Commander Versio will brief all of you once you depart," Spook-2 replied, then turned towards May, narrowing his gaze.  
“Now, in case it needs to be said, you are never to disclose on the events that have taken place. All of this never happened. Revealing what you saw will be met with swift and effective response from Agents, who will have full authority from the Office of Naval Intelligence to do whatever...”  
All that intimidation was getting to May, and in turn the Manaphy. Before another meltdown could happen, I stepped in between the ONI agent and May, staring him down.  
“I think she gets it, Spook,” I growled.  
He looked at me and had the nerve to smirk. He thought I wouldn't dare do anything to hurt him...but if the Spook kept acting smug, he was in for a nasty surprise. May didn't need to be bullied by this desk weasel, not while I was around.  
"Easy there, Spartan," Sam said, trying to stop a fight.  
"Yes," Spook-2 said slyly, "you need to focus on your mission..."  
"My mission," I snarled, "my overall purpose in life, is to neutralize whoever I see as a threat. And right now, I'm looking at you."  
Spook-2 didn't cower back, but held his ground, meeting my stare through the visor. I had to hand it to him, he didn't give in to intimidation that easily. Couldn't tell if it was from his training or being confident I wouldn't hit him.  
Spook-2 gave one last look at May and the Manaphy, "Remember this old Earth phrase, girl: Loose Lips Sink Ships."  
Without a moment's hesitation, he strode off, probably late for some board meeting.  
"I'm not a dumb kid," May said under her breath, "I don't need to be treated like one."  
I turned to her, "Forget him, May. He's not worth your time."  
"I'm just sick of everyone thinking I'm a ten-year-old and telling me what to do."  
"Hey," Bryn said from behind, "the four of us know you're not a child. You're tough."  
"Yeah," Sam agreed, "you managed to stop a whole Cerberus convoy, outrun gunfire, and kept yourself together with the Manaphy."  
A slow smile crept on May's lips, "Thanks, guys. That actually means a lot to me."  
"Come on," I told the group, "let's not overstay our welcome here."

The weather had turned south when we got off the elevator. There was a torrential downpour, and it looked like hail was on its way. In the distance, I caught a glimpse of a brief flash of lightning, which was followed by the rumbling of the sky a few seconds later. The deck had accumulated a thin layer of water, and every step produced a small splash.  
"Saber," I ordered, "double-time to the ship. Let's get out of this rain."  
I took the lead, jogging towards the Nomad quickly. The rainfall wasn't the problem--it was making sure I got everyone on board so we could depart sooner. Wherever we were going, it had to be better than here.  
There was a sudden squeal behind me. I whipped around, only to see the Manaphy looking up at the sky, beaming at the rainfall.  
May laughed, "Do you like rain, Manaphy?"  
"Looks pretty happy to me," Paul pointed out.  
"Happy!" The Manaphy cried, repeating it over and over again.  
May gasped, "You just talked! You said 'happy!'"  
"Damn," Paul remarked, "that little guy sure learns quickly."  
May rubbed her head against the Manaphy's "Whose my little smarty-pants? It's you! It's you!"  
Behind us, an ODST was heading towards the Prowler. Their armor was black night, with a blood-red visor on the helmet. The same color striped down the chest plate and arms, making this Trooper look menacing. On one side of the helmet was scrawled 'I. Versio.'  
"Pretty BA gear, ma'am," Bryn remarked in approval.  
The commander nodded, "Thanks, Spartan. I wore this back during my spec-ops days. I'm surprised it still fits."  
"With the amount of PT you do back on the Apache? It's no wonder."  
I guess her armor was what the commander went to grab. I was a bit curious about why she felt the need to get it.  
"Noted," Versio said, "now let's get underway. We've got a lot of work to do."


	15. Chapter 15

Putting the Nomad on autopilot with the designated coordinates, Versio gathered everyone in the mess hall, our makeshift conference room. There she let us in on what Admiral Kirkland's orders were.  
"The truth is," Versio explained, "we have no damn clue what the Manaphy is. No one has seen it for thousands of years, and there isn't much to go off on."  
"But, Commander," Liara said, "what I have found might point us in the right direction."  
Versio faced Liara, "T'Soni, I appreciate all the research you've collected for us, but we need solid evidence. Is there anything that might give us an idea of where to start looking?"  
"Wait," Bryn interrupted, "are we going to be doing this 'investigation?' Shouldn't this be left to someone else?"  
"Cerberus wants the Manaphy," Versio reminded her, "they killed a lot of good people to get it. We not only need to find out what it is but to make sure it does not fall into the Illusive Man's hands. Whatever Cerberus has planned for it can not be allowed to happen."  
"I thought we lost them back at Sidney-III," I said.  
"They're still looking for us, Spartan. ONI has an agent working undercover at a communications facility. Even with the massive offensive, the fleets are making, select teams are still hunting us."  
"Shoot," Paul breathed.  
"One of these teams is led by two of the Illusive's best: codenames Shatter and Dropkick."  
Sam snorted, "Pretty lame codenames if you ask me."  
"Everyone cut the chatter," Rex ordered, "and let the Commander speak."  
"Thank you, Rex," Versio said, then continued with the meeting.  
"Admiral Kirkland has given us a simple objective: find out all we can about the Manaphy and prevent its capture. Now I know what most of you are thinking: why waste time searching for answers when we could be doing something more important? Well, because we're probably the only people in the whole galaxy that have a handle on this."  
Versio made eye contact with May, "And that includes you too. Since you're the 'mama,' I think it best to keep you around for the Manaphy's sake."  
May, with startling stoicism, replied, "You don't have to worry about that, Commander. I want to see this to the end."  
She then gave the Manaphy a gentle stroke on its antenna, smiling, as it looked back at her and rubbed its flippers on her face. That single act of bonding was heartwarming. It almost seemed like May was the Manaphy's mom.  
"If that thing's staying around," Bryn added, "I think it's gonna need a nickname or something. I don't wanna keep calling it 'The Manaphy.' "  
"Well," Paul asked Lexi, "is it a boy or a girl, doc?"  
"I..." Lexi hesitated, "hadn't looked for that specific piece of information when I did my tests."  
Luckily for us, Liara had the answer to the minor detail.  
"It's neither," she stated, "Manaphy was genderless, according to multiple texts found in asari mythology. They're an asexual species."  
Versio grew frustrated that the meeting had gotten off track again, and let out a quick whistle to get everyone's focus back.  
"We can discuss what to call it after we finish, okay?"  
The Commander quickly started barking off orders, wanting to get this investigation out of the way so that everything could return to normal.  
"T'Soni, I want you to dig into your research and figure out where we should go to get answers; Kirkland wants us to be looking for leads. Spartans, since the Manaphy is a high-value target for Cerberus, I want two of you to guard both it and May whenever we're on the ground. Do not let either of them out of your sight. Am I understood?"  
"Yes, ma'am," the room replied in unison.  
"Good. Dismissed."  
We all started to disperse, but then May decided on what the Manaphy's name should be.  
"You look like a 'Mani' to me," she said, "do you like that name?"  
"Mani!" It replied, "Manaphy, Mani!"  
May laughed, rubbing her head against the Manaphy', "That's right! You're Mani!"  
"Happy! Happy!"  
That seemed a good fit for it, seeing it was basically just a shortened version of Manaphy. Personally, I would've gone with 'Phy,' but May had already made her decision.  
Mani looked my way, then raised a flipper to itself, excitedly repeating, "Mani! Mani!"  
I nodded, acknowledging that it loved its new name. At that point, the situation wasn't protecting the ' package' anymore. It was now protecting Mani.

Things aboard the Nomad died down pretty quickly once we left Tribute. Versio stayed cooped up in the bridge, piloting us to who-knows-where. The Commander decided to take the Nomad out of autopilot and to fly us there manually. 'Wanna make sure we get there safely,' she would claim, but I knew she was doing it to keep her mind busy. Call it 'Spartan Intuition,' but I could see how Versio was making sure she didn't have too much time on her hands. Being idle for that long, the mind starts to wander, and sometimes it goes to places that bring up things that don't need to be brought up again. I was pretty sure if Versio came out of the bridge and watched Mani for a little while, she wouldn't have to worry about being bored. I'd bet she'd be exhausted after one hour.  
Mani was a curious thing, wandering around where it could, opening doors and cabinets in the mess hall, and singing to itself. Sometimes it'd wander into the bunks all by itself, examine it for a quick second, then shuffle on out. Seeing Mani walk with its stubby and fused stumps that acted as the feet was kind of funny, but we were careful not to laugh at it. Its flippers would also drag on the floor, like a baby wearing a shirt too large for its tiny frame. It stayed clear of the med bay, not wanting to go back in there out of fear of getting pricked again from Lexi.  
Every so often, Mani would cry for no apparent reason, at least that was what we thought of at first. It took a while before May figured out Mani was too dry...or not wet enough? The point was, it needed water, so May picked it up and placed it in the mess hall sink. That became the go-to solution onboard whenever Mani acted up for no reason: put it in the tub or the shower.  
Saber started taking a shine to Mani. Paul would bend down and give it a good rub on its head every time he walked by it. Sam would sometimes let Mani listen to his music with him. It was rather odd seeing Mani sway and bounce to power metal, but it seemed to like it. Bryn was the one who took the most considerable interest in Mani out of the four of us. Her personality flipped whenever she was around it: talking in a higher voice, laughing, and overall being open with herself. Bryn even started showing Mani the tattoos on her legs, which she rarely let anyone else see, and described the meaning behind each one. Looking at her, I couldn’t even recognize the Spartan that had become my sister-in-arms.  
As for me, I gave it the occasional pat on the head, asking how it was doing. There was one event where it wanted to examine my hat, curious about what it was. I helped Mani put it on, and it ran around, saying, "Mana!"  
It was nice having a little downtime. After going through hell multiple times on H4-11, it felt good to sit down and relax without having to worry if an incoming plasma round was about to land on top. I could nap without worrying about being shot to pieces. But as always, peace never lasted that long--not if you're a Spartan.


	16. Chapter 16

Two days after we left Phi Station, we arrived in a forgotten system in asari space called Shadri. It once had a settlement on the moon Shiori, but then it was abandoned during the Rachni Wars. It was odd that the asari didn't even try to recolonize Shiori once the krogan drove the rachni to near extinction. And according to Liara, we would find answers down on the moon's surface.  
Versio had ordered Rex, Liara, and myself up to the bridge as the Nomad was stationed in orbit, not making the descent quite yet. The Commander wanted to go through the plan one more time with us, making sure we all understood what the objectives were.  
"I'm not picking up any ship signatures on the scanner," Versio said, "but that doesn't mean we're going to be alone. T'Soni, what can we expect down there in terms of wildlife?"  
Liara look surprised, tilting her head to the side.  
"You're worried about what animals we might run into?"  
"Can never be too careful," Versio pointed out.  
"Uh, well, I don't have information on the wildlife, but what I do know is that there are some ruins near the main colony. They are submerged Forerunner structures, but getting in closer without being tossed around proved challenging. The archeologists built a structure around the ruins so that they could study them on a sturdy surface. It's in the shape of a circular arena with a dome-shaped roof."  
"So basically we go searching through this place until we find something that might tell us what Mani is?" Rex asked.  
"Yes, that would be summing it up."  
"How big is this structure?" I asked.  
"It's big. The radius alone is ten kilometers."  
"Damn," I shouted, "and the asari just left it there?"  
"The rachni were advancing at an alarming rate," Liara explained, "the only concern was to get out as quickly as possible."  
"Rex," Versio said, "I'm putting you in charge of the Nomad once we land. I think it's about time I got in some field work."  
"Yes, ma'am," Rex replied quickly.  
"264, you, Spartans 344 and 400 will accompany T'Soni and me. I want them prepped by the time we land."  
"They'll be ready, Commander," I assured.  
"Our priority is to get into that research lab and investigate the ruins. Once inside, T'Soni will take the lead and guide us through. 264, suit up."

Versio managed to find a suitable landing pad that was close to the science base, or more accurately, an arcology. She set the Nomad down quickly and got things rolling.  
The shore party consisted of Versio, Liara, Paul, Bryn, and myself. We would head inside while everyone else stayed behind. As we left, May waved from the ramp, yelling, "Good luck!"  
"Checking comms," Sam said through the radio, "Commander, can you hear me?"  
"Loud and clear, Spartan," she responded.  
"Copy that. I'll be monitoring you while you're in the arcology."  
"Understood. Hopefully, we won't be too long. Keep me updated if Cerberus shows up."  
"Wilco. 602, out."  
We came up to the doors of the main entrance, but it looked like they hadn't been functioning for a long time. Liara tried, unsuccessfully, to pry them open. As she strained, Paul and I stepped in, putting our Spartan-strength to work. He grabbed one, and I grabbed the other and then pulled. It took some effort, but eventually, we made an opening that was wide enough for everyone to move through.  
"Thank you, boys," Versio said, moving in with Liara and Bryn behind.  
Once the girls passed us, Paul and I followed them down a corridor that had seen better days. Broken glass, puddles of water, and other signs of neglect filled the hall. The deeper we went, the less confident I was that we'd find something on Mani.  
"Liara," Bryn questioned, "you sure this is the right place? It looks...run down."  
"More like dilapidated," Paul mumbled.  
"The archeologists would have kept their data in secure vaults," Liara explained, "which should still be intact."  
"Sure, but that was over 2,000 years ago. There's no way that data is still salvageable."  
"This whole building draws power from the sea thanks to hydroelectric generators. There's still a chance that we'll be able to find information on..."  
There was long and eerie howl that seemed to echo throughout the entire facility. It sounded like something out of a nightmare, something unholy. It just kept going, until after what seemed like minutes it finally faded away.  
"This place isn't abandoned," Paul murmured, drawing his Battle Rifle.  
Versio pulled out her Assault Rifle, "Weapons up and tighten formation, people. I've seen enough vids to know where this is going."  
I readied my shotgun and started ordering Bryn and Paul with hand signals. Paul would take rear while Bryn would help cover the left flank. I moved to support the right, while Versio and Liara stayed on point. We moved as one, making sure some monster wouldn't ambush us.  
"Ahead should be a junction," Liara informed, "where we should be able to head down to where the vaults are."  
"How far down?" Versio asked.  
"Quite a ways."  
"Terrific. 602---be advised we are heading lower down the structure. We might also have some boogeymen lurking around."  
It took a minute for Sam to respond, but he acknowledged our status and reported that the coast was still clear. I couldn't say the same for the shore party; we even didn't know what made that noise or where it came from. I had heard of horrifying accounts of the parasitic race known as 'The Flood,' and how they converted every living thing into some undead monsters.  
I kept my eyes on the shadows, looking to see if anything would crawl, slither, or skitter out. I knew that around me, Bryn and Paul were doing the same, putting our lifelong training into use. The only way something would get past our sight was if the creature was wearing active camouflage.  
The doors that led to the junction were, like outside, sealed tight. A little dose of Spartan-Elbow grease was our magic key, and soon we entered into what seemed like the main lobby. In the center was a large round desk that had twelve individual consoles, almost like workstations.  
"This way," Liara motioned us, "just the other side of that room."  
We started heading that way, something heavy landed behind the group. Everyone swiveled around, bringing up our weapons, only to find out that a piece of the bulkhead door had fallen from when it was moved.  
Paul managed a chuckle, "Nice to know we're on point."  
With that, we went deeper into the dark.


	17. Chapter 17

"Which way, T'Soni?" Versio asked, quite impatient at this point.  
"Let me think for a moment," Liara politely replied.  
After winding our way down the arcology for an hour, we hit a fork in the road. Liara, our guide through this place, had led us to a spot she didn't recognize when studying the floor plans. It left us in quite a tricky scenario. If we went down the wrong way, we'd waste time in backtracking and none of us wanted to stay longer than what was required in this place. And splitting up wasn't going to work, because only Liara had any sense of where we were going, except for the little snag that tripped us up.  
Bryn and I kept eyes on the hallway we came through, while Paul took a swig from his canteen, one hand on his sidearm. The three of us were waiting for something nasty to pop up from the shadows, but it wouldn't get past us. Not without being riddled with holes.  
"Okay, T'Soni," Versio said, "we either go right or left. Which one sounds the most familiar?"  
Liara looked down each side, then pointed towards the right.  
"I believe it's that way, Commander."  
"Sounds good to me. Didi mao, Spartans!"  
Paul quickly put his helmet back on, stashing his canteen in his pack, and we walked into the darkness.  
"Joe," Sam said through my helmet's radio, "what's going on in there?"  
"Still making our way to the data," I responded, "we were delayed, but we're now on the move."  
"Any signs of trouble?"  
There hadn’t been any more disturbing howls since we first came in, but something didn't seem right about this place. The further we got into the arcology, the more I felt like we were being watched. My senses were telling me that we shouldn't be here and to get the hell out. It wasn't just me who was feeling it; Paul and Bryn were constantly scanning their heads side to side, aiming at every nook and cranny. They knew that we had company, but none of us knew what to expect.  
"Not yet," I answered.  
We rounded a corner, only to find that the way forward had been blocked by debris. Jagged metal struts poked out, daring us to try to get past it.  
"Well," Liara sighed, "that's unfortunate."  
"Spartans," Versio ordered, "see if you can move the rubble."  
The three of us carefully moved in and started to gently move the scrap out of the way. As we started making a clearing, Bryn looked through the hole, and muttered, "The hell?"  
Paul and I stopped and peeked at what Brym was seeing. The hallway beyond looked clear from anymore obstructions, but on the floor...  
"What's the hold up, Spartans?" Versio growled, wanting to keep things moving right along.  
The floor was covered in small red orbs that had spikes sticking out of them. They were glowing, and some weird smell permeated the air. They sort of reminded me of the egg Mani hatched from, except more twisted. Then, I spotted something coming out of the shadows.  
"Down!" I whispered, ducking under the hole we made. Paul and Bryn placed their backs on the wall, as did Versio and Liara. We remained silent, listening as thumping footsteps grew steadily closer. There was some chitterring, followed by a high pitched whistle.  
"Oh Goddess," Liara whimpered, "please, not now."  
Liara was shaking, which was really concerning. For as long as I knew her, she never let her fear get the better of her. But now, she was on the edge of losing it.  
Versio grabbed her arm, giving her a small shake to bring her back into the present. It wasn't effective---Liara's mind wasn't in the here and now. She kept looking out into space, tears welling up in her eyes and she began to take rapid breaths.  
"T'Soni," Versio whispered, "snap out of it!"  
She wasn't quieting down, so Versio put a hand on Liara's mouth and pushed her against the wall, making her look into the Commander's visor. She depolarized it so her eyes were visible.  
"T'Soni! Come on back. You've gotta come back."  
I let out a sigh, getting ready to blast whatever was on the other side with a shotgun shell. Paul and Bryn pointed their weapons at the hole, waiting for something to bust through it. Agonizing seconds passed, each one more tense than the last. Liara was still freaking out, but she didn’t give away our position.  
Surprisingly, whatever was on the other side didn't notice us, and began to walk away. We remained still for a few more moments before we dared to move a muscle.  
"T'Soni," Versio said in a low voice, "what was that?"  
Liara didn't reply. Her eyes were squeezed tight, her teeth were gritting, and she was trying her best not to let out a sob. Whatever Liara saw, it reduced her, broke her.  
"Commander," I whispered, "what do we do now?"  
She looked at Liara, and let out a frustrated sigh.  
"She's not in the right mind space. We'll have to turn back."  
"What about the data?"  
Liara opened her eyes, shakingly saying, "I can go on. I'm alright."  
Versio wrapped her arm around T'Soni's shoulders, leading her back the way we came. The rest of us crept away, and went back to the Nomad.

Everyone back on the Nomad was surprised to see us return so soon. While we headed back, Liara had shut herself off, not saying a word or even looking us in the eye. When Lexi saw her acting this way, she stepped in for some ‘psychiatrist’ session. She and Liara went to the medbay to get some privacy. Versio decided that she would lead the way next time, and had Liara send her the schematics for the arcology. In the morning, we would try again.  
In the armory, Paul and Bryn were going over what triggered Liara to melt down like that.  
“Judging by those sounds,” Paul said, “it must’ve been a giant bug or something.”  
“Yeah,” Bryn agreed, “and those things on the ground. They looked straight up unnatural.”  
I placed my helmet on one of the racks, stuck in my thoughts. Was this data even worth getting? Was it even still salvageable? Questions like these filled my head, kept me distracted as I stripped off my armor. I must’ve been in deep, because before I knew it, Bryn had tapped her elbow into my side.  
“Hey, Joe,” she teased, “still with us?”  
“Yeah,” I replied, “just mulling over things.”  
Bryn nudged me again, “What’s wrong? You’ve got that look.”  
Paul, Sam, and Bryn had learned my facial cues, especially when something bothered me. To them, I was an open book when it came to distress.  
“Nothing that matters,” I answered.  
“Joe,” she pressed.  
I gave in and unloaded my thoughts onto Bryn.  
“This whole investigation? Is it even worth all the trouble?”  
That was the first time I felt any doubt over this whole mission. Spartans--we were trained to see the bigger picture, to give our lives so that others may live. How was figuring out what Mani was going to be better for the UNSC? The galaxy? This seemed less important than what we were doing a week ago---protecting the UNSC from the Banished threat.  
Bryn shrugged, “I think it is.”  
“How?”  
Paul stepped in for that question.  
“Preventing the exploitation of the technology Mani could unlock from those who’d use it to bring harm to others. We destroy a threat before it becomes one. The more we learn about the Manaphy species, the more we can help.”  
I didn’t expect that deep level thinking from Paul. It sounded like he had pondered the same question, gave it thought. From the vocabulary he used, he must’ve discussed his feelings with either Versio or Lexi. The way he put it restored some of my faith and commitment into the mission.  
“Exactly,” Bryn agreed, “plus, we get some R&R, weirdly.”  
Being down to my tech suit, I turned around and left, heading back to the bunks.   
When I got there, I was welcomed by Mani’s attention-grabbing cry, as it fussed and whined. May stood in the middle of the room, bouncing Mani to try and calm it down.  
“Everything okay?” I asked.  
“Well, not really,” May responded, “I can’t seem to figure out what Mani’s crying about. It’s not hungry, and it’s not dry.”  
I leaned against the wall, “Does it need a nap?”  
“Yes,” she gasped, “that’s it! Let’s see...oh! Could you look through my bag for my Savant-Player?”  
I had no idea what she was talking about. I’d help her, yes, but I’d need some context of what it was.  
“What’s it look like?” I asked, heading towards her bag on the floor.  
“It’s a small white square with a green light on the top. I know it's last year’s model, but I’d rather keep my old one rather than upgrade it to the Savant-Prime.”  
“Didn’t understand anything past ‘green-light-on-top.’"  
I rummaged through the pack, lifting shirts, shorts, and underwear that had some 'unique designs' printed on them. The backside of one said 'Glass This!' I kept digging until I found it packed snuggly in an interior pocket. Once I pulled it, May gave me a set of directions.  
“My passcode is Top-Left, Bottom-Right, Bottom-Left, Top-Right, and center two times.”  
I looked at the small device, reorienting, so the green light was on the top. Unlocking this device was not something I was at all familiar with. To me, it was just a metal square. I tapped the corners in the pattern May told me, and once I pressed the center twice, a holographic display appeared, showing a list of titles. ‘Eternity Inferno,’ ‘Free as Dust (In the Solar Wind),’ ‘Blue Azure.’  
“May, what are these?”  
“Scroll to the bottom,” she said, ignoring my question, “and click on ‘Memories of Home’ playlist.”  
I ran my finger over the titles and went as far down as I could. When I saw ‘Memories of Home,’ I selected it, a picture of a woman popped up, and then there was music coming out of the device.  
I then turned to see May sitting on the edge of her bunk, slowly rocking Mani back and forth while giving a warm maternal smile.  
“Baby mine,” she crooned along with the singer, “don’t you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes.”  
I was surprised: a lullaby? I’d never seen someone use one before, so this was an exciting situation to be a part of.  
“Rest your head close to my heart, never to part. Baby of mine.”  
Like magic, Mani’s whines grew fainter, closing its eyes and placing one of its flippers in its mouth as May began to sing the next verse.  
I could feel my whole body ease up, entranced by the moment. It was tender, making the problems we were facing seem irrelevant like only this was important. As there was a break in between verses, May let out a yawn, looking as though she would fall asleep herself.  
“From your head to your toes. You’re so sweet, goodness knows. You are so precious to me, cute as can be — baby of mine. Baby mine. Baby mine.”  
I just stood there, amazed at how well that worked. The song looped, the notes playing again, but this time May didn’t sing along but hummed. She gently rocked Mani, now fast asleep, closing her own eyes continuing to hum the lyrics. About halfway through, she looked like she was about to drift off, so I gave her the smallest of shakes on her shoulder, enough to arouse her from nodding off.  
“What song is this?” I asked, eager to know how May knew the words.  
“It’s a lullaby my Mom--my quarian Mom--used to sing to me. She said it’s from an old Earth vid. When I was a little girl, she’d sing it to me whenever I had a nightmare or was feeling sick.”  
May’s cheeks faintly glowed red, embarrassed. “I listened to it a couple of times when I first started on my pilgrimage. I was feeling homesick, and this old lullaby helped me get through it. Silly, I know, for a girl my age to be listening to baby stuff like that.”  
“I wouldn’t call it silly,” I reassured, “it sounds like you and your mom are close.”  
May nodded, rather somberly.  
“Yeah. She and I are best buds.”  
She then looked at me, tears starting to well in her eyes.  
“I miss her, Joe. I really miss her. It’s one of the hardest parts of being far from home.”  
Seeing how May looked up to her mother, reminded me of the little memories I had with my mom. There weren’t many -- in fact I couldn’t remember much before Spartan bootcamp. I did, however, remember her tucking me in at night, and kissing my forehead.  
“Don’t worry, May,” I promised, “you’ll see her again. You have my word.”  
My full commitment to the mission was restored. Not only did we have to succeed for Mani, but also for May so she could get back home and see her mother again. I had no idea what being a parent meant, but I felt it as my duty to protect May, now more than ever.  
She smiled, then looked back down at Mani and sang the last verse.  
“You are so precious to me, cute as can be. Baby of mine.”


	18. Chapter 18

Early next morning, the shore party, with Rex replacing T'Soni, set off again to retrieve the information about the Manaphy species. Versio had memorized the schematics and knew them by heart, but she uploaded the map to all of our suits' computers, just in case we ran into another fork in the road or if something happened to her. It took little time to get back to the blocked hallway where the mysterious creature almost caught us. Liara hadn't told us what exactly it was, just mentioned it was a trigger for the worst day of her life. Lexi prescribed some meds to help her calm down and something to keep her mind distracted.  
The hole we had made was still there, and Versio ordered Bryn and me to remove the rest of the rubble so we could get through. It didn't take long to make an entryway, and soon, everyone was through the breach. The red orbs were still scattered all over the ground, making us all cautious. By the look of them, I'd say the most logical answer was that they were eggs.  
"Let's give these things a wide berth," Versio warned, "just to be safe."  
Rex shivered, "These give me the creeps."  
Walking down the corridor was like navigating a minefield. One wrong step, and we'd be screwed to the wall. Us Spartans had to be more delicate, seeing as we were bulkier. Every step I took, I half expected to crush an egg, unleashing hell on us all accidentally.  
Versio pointed forward, "We'll take a right once we get to the end. From there, we'll be in the home stretch. Spartan 400, think you can slice into old asari tech?"  
"T'Soni gave me a passkey," Paul explained, "that should let me in. If that doesn't work, I'll do it the old fashioned way."  
Suddenly, there was a nightmarish screech that pierced the air around us. Reflexively ducking down, everyone searched left and right to see if whatever made the sound was close by, because it sure as hell sounded like it.  
"Let's not waste time, people," Versio barked, "move out!"  
We ran out of that hallway, not wanting to meet the unholy creatures that called this place home. The eggs had been pretty much evaded, but now, all we had to do was...  
A wet crunch made us all stop. Heads turned towards Rex and his leg that was now covered in gunk. He had accidentally squashed a lone orb, and its contents had splashed onto mostly his shin with a few specks going up to his thigh.  
"Well, crap," he managed to say, almost defeated.  
Before Versio could yell at him, something came barreling out behind us. Now that it was under some light, I could see what it was.  
It was a bug, four legs, two arms, and two tentacle-like appendages. The creature was hunched over, and had a cone-shaped mouth. It looked familiar, like a...  
"Rachni!" Versio screamed, "Light it up!"  
A hail of bullets shredded the incoming Rachni into gory ribbons, filled it with so many holes that someone could see through it. The bug slid towards us, leaving behind a slimy green trail of blood in its wake.  
"Huh," Bryn said, surprised, "that wasn't as bad as I thought it would."  
Shrieks of more Rachni echoed throughout the arcology, almost deafening. We no longer had the element of surprise; the bursts from our weapons pretty much let every living thing in here know where we were.  
"Oh shit," I muttered, evidently speaking what was on everyone's mind.  
"Go-go-go-go-go," Rex shouted, waving us forward with one of his magnums. The Commander was on point, with the Captain close-by. I took the rear, while Paul and Bryn covered the flanks. We moved swiftly down the hall, not stopping for anything.  
"Spartan 602," Versio barked, "we've been engaged by rachni! Repeat: rachni are in the arcology. Lock down the Nomad!"  
"Securing now," he replied, "Do you need reinforcements?"  
"Negative, focus on protecting the ship!"  
"Contacts," Paul said, "right side!"  
We had entered a plaza, and there was a swarm of rachni heading towards us at an alarming speed. More were coming up from behind. Something slapped onto me, and my shields began to drain slowly.  
"They're flinging acid," I shouted, "watch yourselves!"  
I began firing shotgun shells into the oncoming horde of bugs, managing to blow off decent sized chunks from some of them. The rachni just stepped over their fallen, wasting no time to get closer to us. Bryn helped me put some of our pursuers down, firing bursts from her sub-machine gun into them. We made a sizeable dent, but they didn't slow down. This place was their home; they wouldn't stop until we were dead. Not only were we not welcome, but Rex had crushed one of their eggs: something that could only be paid for in blood. This had now become a fight for survival.  
"Keep pushing people," Versio said, "we've got to reach the vaults!"  
"If it isn't swarming with bugs," Paul hollered, firing his rifle.  
"344, watch your left," Rex barked.  
Bryn swung her aim, quickly putting down a couple of rachni trying to flank us.  
It wasn't long before I had to reload. I did so while backpedaling, which was harder than it sounds, not to mention nerve-racking. It was nothing short of a miracle that not a single shell was dropped during my running.  
When we reached the other side of the plaza, Bryn and I raced to slam the doors close so we wouldn't be followed. It was tight---literally milliseconds---but we managed to seal the gates in time. The rachni on the other side banged on the bulkhead, trying to smash their way in but after a few seconds, they subsided, and we heard them shuffle away.  
"Reload," Versio panted, "those buggers will be back."  
Everyone popped in new mags into their weapons, breathing hard the whole time. Versio took the time to get on the comms.  
"602, this is Versio. Put T'Soni on--now!"  
She used a double dose of her trademark venom in her voice, something I've only seen her do once before. Under that helmet, I could picture her with pulsing veins, clenched teeth, and deeply furrowed brows. Whatever she was pissed about, it had to do with Liara.  
"Yes, Commander," Sam responded, "patching her in."  
A few seconds passed before Liara answered on the radio.  
"Yes, Commander?"  
"T'Soni," Versio started, doing her best to remain calm, "I understand that I might bring back painful memories. But why the hell didn't you warn us about the damn rachni!"  
"That's on me," Lexi interrupted, "I told her that she shouldn’t..."  
"Lexi, not now!"  
Rex turned to look at Versio, surprised that she yelled at our medical officer. Liara not telling us that she saw rachni made the Commander furious.  
"T'Soni," Versio snapped, "tell me everything you know about fighting rachni---go!"  
Without missing a beat, Liara told us everything we needed to know. For combat tactics, their preferred method was swarming over their enemies to rip them to shreds, using their acid to strike at range. All the ones we had fought were merely drones, but we were told to watch out for anything bigger. One sure way of fending them off was fire. Only problem was that none of us had thought about bringing a flamethrower or any incendiary ammo. Rachni drones were also persistent--not giving up on their quarry easily. It was only a matter of time before we would see them again.  
“T’Soni,” Versio growled, “you and I are going to have a nice long chat when I get back.”  
She disconnected from the comms, and took in a calming breath, trying to wind down from her tongue-lashing session.  
“Alright, team. These bastards are standing between us and that data. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough ammo to handle them all, so we’re going to need an alternate route.”  
Paul pulled out a holographic display of the arcology, found the room we were currently in, and figured out a way around the possible ambush sights. He pointed to a path, located right under us.  
"There's an aqueduct here that goes right past the vaults. Should be big enough for everyone to walk through, but there's not much room to maneuver in if we get caught."  
"Which might happen," I said.  
"And what's our plan for getting out?" Bryn asked.  
"It's not like we can go back the way we came."  
“I'll figure it out," Versio assured, "but for now, let's find that aqueduct."

Treading carefully, with water almost up to my waist, I led the shore party, who was in single file, through the aqueduct. We tried going as quietly as possible, taking small steps not to slosh the water so we could move undetected. I wasn't sure if we actually could be heard from below the floor, but there was no point in taking any more risks than we were now.  
On my HUD was a waypoint that Paul placed on our maps. That was the location of where the vaults with data on the Manaphy species was. With any luck, there wouldn't be any rachni on top, waiting to pounce on us and tear us to pieces. But so far, luck wasn't on our side.  
When I was right under the waypoint, I held up a closed fist, signaling everyone to stop. Our destination was a few meters above us, and there was an access hatch that would let us out. One problem though: it was rusted shut.  
I secured my shotgun on the back of my armor, and carefully climbed up a service ladder that led to the top. Once I got up there, I tried to open the hatch, pulling as hard as I could on the lever. When it was not going to budge, I climbed back down to give the bad news.  
"Hatch is shut tight," I whispered, "we'll have to find another way."  
Paul, who was right behind me, shook his head.  
"That's the only way in. Unless we want to backtrack?"  
"Negative," Versio stated, "we can't turn around now. 264, see if you can get it open."  
"Yes, ma'am," I replied, and climbed back up the ladder. When I reached the lever, this time, I grabbed it with both of my hands, pulling it as hard as I could. It was a stubborn piece of metal, not giving me any response. I pulled down even harder, giving it everything I got until, finally, it gave way. However, I was unprepared for it and was sent falling into the aqueduct, splashing down into the water. When I stood up, I gave a thumbs up, letting everyone know the hatch had been unlocked. Judging by how far back the lever was, it looked like it had been broken, and that it wouldn't close.  
I reached the top first and carefully examined above for any rachni drones. I stepped out gingerly, swinging my shotgun left and right to put down anything that might give us away. The room was empty, and I motioned for everyone else to come on up. In front of us stood a large door, the entrance to the data vault. Paul went over to the access panel and typed in a few keys. There was a chime, and then the door unlocked and opened itself. Paul went inside and found a console. He bent down, powered up the console's monitor, and began searching for the Manaphy data. The rest of us formed up near the door, ready to blast anything that showed its head around the corners. Within a few minutes, we heard the rachni coming, their screeches creeping ever closer.  
"400," Versio said tensely, "status?"  
"I've almost got it," Paul replied, "just need to transfer it over."  
"But it's there?"  
"Affirmative. There's more here than T'Soni thought there would be."  
"Good--get it all."  
Growls and hisses were coming from the other side of the room, and what sounded like a stampede. The rachni had found us, and they were coming.  
Everyone else raised their weapons just as the first drone scuffled in. In an instant, it was shot to pieces, its innards being splattered on the wall. Before it could hit the ground, more of them poured in, rushing us to get within reach of their claws. We shredded the rachni before they even got the chance to grab us, but more of them kept coming in.  
"Hurry it up, Spartan!" Rex barked.  
"Buy me a few more seconds!" Paul responded.  
One rachni was about to rush into the archives, but Versio shot one of its legs, then quickly ran up to it and jumped onto its back. She then drilled the wounded drone, firing point-blank into its skull, covering herself in green gore. Another one made a beeline for her, but Versio brought up her rifle and brought it down.  
"Files successfully transferred," Paul hollered, "ready to go, Commander!"  
"Down the hatch," Versio ordered, "344, cover the retreat!"  
Paul came sprinting out of the vault and jumped feet first into the aqueduct. Rex was right behind him, emptying his mags into the swarm before he leaped down. Versio went next, and I followed her while Bryn laid down suppressing fire.  
I landed hard, my knees feeling the full force from the fall. I got out of the way for Bryn, but an explosion rocked the interior. Bryn came falling soon, and we all started booking it back to the Nomad.  
"Popped a grenade," she said, "should give us a head start."  
Running through the water was no easy task, as it restricted our movements. We were moving too slow, and it wouldn't be long until the rachni would be on our tails. For once, we caught a break when the water started to drain, making it easier to run. No one stopped to check to see how or why; our main focus was getting out.  
The whole journey back was a blur. All I could remember after exiting the aqueduct was running through the halls, zigging and zagging as we wound our way back up top. There were a few moments where I stopped to take down some rachni that were chasing us, but other than that, it was a straight slog. When we reached the reception area, that's when I noticed that we weren't being followed anymore. Still, we didn't want to be caught, so we just ran the rest of the way back. Seeing the dark outline of the Nomad again brought relief, which grew as we ascended the ramp. As the doors closed behind us, Versio and Rex nearly plopped onto the floor, panting hard.  
"400," Versio wheezed, "still have the data?"  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Ah, good job, everyone. Let's leave this hellhole of a colony, shall we?"


	19. Chapter 19

Liara was grateful and relieved that everyone returned safely from the rachni horde. When she noticed that no one had died, she repeatedly thanked the Goddess. She was more interested in the data overall, but it was nice to know she was worried. Once Paul handed the Manaphy data over, Liara went straight to work, running back to the communications room to do her studies.  
Bryn, Paul, and I sat at the dining table in our armor, having lunch while Sam and May were at the sink doing the dishes from when they ate. They must've done something complex, seeing as there was a stack of dirty plates and bowls. Sam did the washing and rinsing while May did the drying. Her Savant Player was blasting some music as they cleaned. May swung her hips slightly, dancing to the rhythm and humming while Sam stood motionless, but May didn't like that he wasn't moving.  
"Come on, Sam," she encouraged, "join in, won't you?"  
He looked at her for a moment, not sure why she wanted him to dance.  
"Why?"  
"Because it's fun! It makes the chores go faster, too."  
"Nah, I'm good."  
May pouted, "Fine. You stand there and be boring."  
Sam decided to humor her, standing up straight while folding his arms, and used his best authoritative voice.  
"Boring? I'll have you know, young lady, that I live a constant life of danger and excitement!"  
May giggled, and she continued to dry the dishes, swaying her hips to the beat.  
"Oh, don't let him get away with that, May," Bryn said, "tell him he's as bland as an elcor."  
Paul snickered, and so did Sam. Ribbing each other was always a fun pastime, as long as it didn't go too far. Some topics were off limits: no one was allowed to make fun of Sam's turian girlfriend, Bryn's tattoos, Paul's interest in cooking, or my weird taste in music.  
"Tell Bryn," Sam said to May, "that she sings like a vorcha getting kicked in the balls."  
"Ouch," I stated, then took another bite of my lunch.  
Bryn pointed the finger at him, "Say that a krogan is better looking than him."  
And this pretty much started a back and forth between the two of them, using May as some relay.  
"Tell her that not even an asari would give her a dance."  
"Tell him he's as ugly as a batarian."  
"Tell her that she's hideous like a Jackal."  
"Tell him he's dumber than a Brute."  
"Wait," May begged, "slow down! I can't tell which one's going to who."  
They went on like this for a while, until neither of them could think of another insult. May was looking on edge; she felt that at any moment, Bryn and Sam were going to start throwing punches at each other. I didn't blame her; they've gotten in fights over less. They once argued on what was better: the AV-14 Hornet or the AV-49 Wasp. They went at each other for hours, which ended up with me putting an end to it by declaring it a draw. Paul and I were careful not to mention either of those vehicles so the fight wouldn't start again.  
May let out a breath she'd been holding in, relieved that the name-calling and taunting were over. She dried the remaining dishes with forced effort, trying to break up her awkwardness. Paul and I were grinning from all the jabs that were told. Even Sam and Bryn couldn't help but laugh at some of the barbs, but May didn't seem too comfortable. She tried to slink off, but I didn't want her to feel like she was an outsider--not during this trip.  
"Hey, May," I said, "you want to hang with us for a minute?"  
She turned around, rubbing her hands together.  
"Well, I don't wanna be up in your guys' space."  
"You wouldn't, but you don't have to if you don't want to."  
May looked down the hall, then back at us. She shrugged, and came over and sat on the seat next to Paul. She then stared down at the floor, still a tad bit shy around us. I planned to change that: if this was going to be a long trip, it would be better to get her to trust us ultimately. Something told me she wasn't quite sure of her opinion of us---sure, we proved that we were the good guys, but there wasn't a connection. On missions, soldiers needed to have each other's backs and trust. Without it, divisions form, and the whole purpose fails. May needed to know that she could rely on us if she ever got into another scrape. One way to do that was to get to know her on a personal level.  
"Where's Mani?" Bryn asked, leaning back while craning her head.  
"In the medbay," May answered, jerking a thumb, "taking a nap. Dr. T'Perro said she'd watch it and that I needed a break."  
"Smart move," Paul pointed out, "don't need you to be stressed out."  
"I am worried about when it wakes up, though. Should I go and check?"  
"Lexi can handle it."  
"I know, but..."  
"May, she's saved people from dying, and even brought some of them back to life. I think she can manage if Mani wakes up."  
At any moment, I half expected to see Lexi walk in, cradling Mani as it cried, looking distressed and having her head tentacles going in different directions. That image made me let out a brief chuckle, and now I wanted to see it happen for real. Sadly, that didn't happen.  
"Yeah," Bryn encouraged, "you need some time away from Mani. Let someone else worry about it while you take a rest. Otherwise, you might end up like a zombie."  
On cue, there was a faint cry from Mani. May was about to get up, but I stood up faster.  
"I'll go see what's wrong," I said, "remember: you need a break."  
May eased herself, "Right. I need to relax."  
"Tell us about your parents," Sam requested while I strode off to go see what the problem was.

Nearing the medbay, the cries went away, and I couldn’t hear anything happening on the other side of the door. My first thought was that Lexi had taken care of it, but I was still intrigued to see if there was anything more I could do. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the door gently so I wouldn't disturb whatever was happening.  
"Shh, shh," I heard Lexi said softly, "there you go."  
Through the crack of the door, I could see Lexi had laid Mani on one of the beds, swaddling it in one of the smaller blankets. Mani had its eyes shut tight, but it wriggled its arms under the blanket and was letting out whines.  
"It's okay, little one," Lexi said, just as she finished wrapping Mani up like a mummy. It calmed down, being hugged by the blanket, and Lexi raised it up to her shoulder. She then bounced it, rubbing the back of Mani's head as she waltzed around the room, trying to keep it soothed. It seemed pretty obvious that Lexi had this all under control, and as I was gingerly closing the door, a hand fell on my back. I turned around quickly, only to be looking down at Liara.  
"Is Dr. T'Perro in there?" Liara asked.  
I held a finger up to my lips, whispering, "Yeah, but she's putting Mani to sleep."  
Liara proceeded to walk around and head on in, but I placed my arm over the door. Liara sighed.  
"Joe, I'll go in quietly, okay? I have some important information that Dr. T'Perro should be aware of."  
I dropped my arm, letting Liara in, but before I could go on my way, Lexi called me in---asking if I could help for a moment.  
"What is it?" I said softly.  
Lexi proceeded to hand over Mani onto me so her hands would be free as she talked with Liara. It was a little sudden, but I figured if I just mimicked what she was doing, it'd be alright. As I paced the room, I eavesdropped on the conversation between the two asari doctors.  
"I've discovered something interesting in the arcology data," Liara said, "about the Manaphy's biology."  
"I thought there weren't any Manaphy for thousands of years. How could there be any notes on them?"  
"This is from the data the archeologists were able to extract from the Forerunner site. I wanted to get your verification on something."  
Both of them huddled over a datapad, blocking me from being able to see what was so special. Lexi stiffened up, and brought her voice down so low that not even I could understand what she said. Liara started to whisper too, and I was now feeling out of the loop. By the way the were talking and pointing at the datapad, it must've been something huge. I tried getting closer, but I almost woke up Mani by not bouncing it. Before a meltdown could happen, I managed to lull it back to sleep.  
"Goddess," Lexi breathed, shaking her head, "this...I don't even know what to say."  
"What do you mean?" Liara asked.  
Lexi looked back at me, and politely said, "Spartan, give us a moment, please?"  
I wanted to know what the big fuss was about. What about Mani's biology had gotten them riled up? Did it have any impact on the rest of us?  
"But..." I objected, however Lexi was never the one to take 'no' for an answer. She swiftly took Mani out of my hands, and pointed towards the door. I tossed my hands in the air, and walked out without another word. I then went to tell May that Mani was a-okay and that Lexi was handling it like the professional she was. However, I was bothered by why Lexi and Liara were keeping something hidden from everyone else. I thought about going to Versio about it, but if I did, then both of the asari would know them out, and we didn't need division on the Nomad. Then again, weren't they already doing that by withholding information? I knew Liara was a secretive person, but Lexi? She was UNSC---one of us. Perhaps she'd tell Versio herself. By the time I made it back to everyone else at the mess, I came to the conclusion that maybe Lexi and Liara would let the rest of us know later.


	20. Chapter 20

Nothing really of interest happened for the next 21 hours. Everyone pretty much did their own thing as Liara did more decrypting of the data from the arcology. When she finished, Liara looked fatigued, almost like she hadn't slept since she got her hands on what we recovered. Aside from the biology, Liara found coordinates for other planets where the scientists had planned to build more labs to research the Manaphy species further. The problem was that the labs were never built, which meant that Liara would have to do on-site research. However, there was something else in store for us.  
I was resting in my bunk when it happened. One moment, everything was normal. Then almost instantly, the whole room went dark, save for a single red light. An alarm went off, but not for an emergency. This one was used to tell the crew to be combat-ready. On instinct, I shot out of the bunk and made a break for the armory, almost bulldozing Lexi and May. When I reached it, Sam was already in an armor station, and then I went to the other one to get suited up.  
"We under attack?" Sam asked.  
"Unknown," I replied, "but I don't think it's a drill, either."  
Bryn and Paul showed up, immediately going to work on prepping weapons. Once Sam and I were suited up, both of them swapped places with us, as we finished preparing the gear. In what seemed to me like a personal record, Saber Team was combat-ready in under fifteen minutes. Not bad, but could've been better. Rex came in, having armored up in the bunks, ready to brief us.  
"We've caught a distress signal from a UNSC freighter, the Constantinople. They've been boarded by Banished raiders and need assistance."  
UNSC protocol was clear: any UNSC ship in the area was to assist any friendly that was under attack. This rule was a controversial one, with some critics pointing out that this could be used as a lure for a bigger target. But during the Covenant War, we were running out of ships--and people--for the fight. We needed every last man and woman to help ensure that the UNSC didn't get wiped out.  
"We'll be docking with Constantinople in ETA ten minutes. Be on the lookout for any survivors, but we can't help any wounded; we've still got our mission to do. Only provide basic first aid. Am I understood?"  
"Yessir," the four of us barked.  
"Good. To the airlock, let's go!"  
I would've preferred more to go on, but there wasn't much time anyway. Seemed pretty simple: kill Banished, save the crew.  
Rex ordered Lexi to keep May and Mani in the med bay, in case a Brute stumbled his way onboard. The ordeal was scaring Mani as it cried hard, not knowing what was going on. May tried her best to calm it down, but nothing worked. There wasn't anything I could do, so I moved on.  
"Rex," Veesio said through the communications channel, "scans are showing that gravity is switched off in some areas of the freighter, but there is still air."  
"Copy that, ma'am," Rex reported, then turned to us.  
"Be ready for zero-gravity combat."  
It had been a while since we've fought in zero-g, but none of us were deterred. Our minds were focused on getting in there and killing the ugly bastards.

When we entered through the freighter's airlock, the first thing I saw was blood--lots of it. The bodies of the crew lay scattered throughout the deck in a gory mess. They had been doing this for some time; the color was gone from their cheeks — nothing we could do to save these people now.  
"Commander, this is Rex. Confirmed casualties. No sign of survivors."  
"Understood. Be advised that Constantinople has a registered AI on board that hasn't been scrubbed yet. I can't make contact with it, but I want it out of the hands of the Brutes."  
"Should we destroy it?"  
"See if you can recover it. Versio out."  
Rex drew his magnums, "264, find that AI."  
"On it."  
I quickly but carefully followed the signs pointing towards the bridge, finger on the trigger to take out any Banished that were waiting. As I went further into the ship, I ran into more of the slaughtered crew. However, I couldn't help but notice that the way they had been killed looked wrong. The kills were clean: no ripped open flesh, no cracked skulls, and limbs were still attached to bodies. There wasn't any plasma damage. When I passed by an engineer, I bent down to examine his wounds. In his chest were deep holes--holes that matched a weapon that used thermal clips.  
"Captain, this is 264. All these bodies have bullet wounds, not plasma burns."  
I got static as a reply, which gave me a bad feeling in my chest. Something was not right. Still, I had my orders to retrieve that AI. Even with this being a trap, the Cole Protocol still had to be followed. As I continued, I noticed there was an eerie quiet. I don't mean just quiet, but it was an unnatural silence that happened in horror vids, right when the monster was about to pop out. I got the distinct feeling of...  
On reflex, I moved to the side right as a blade came down towards my spine. As I evaded getting my back cut in half, I brought my foot up in a roundhouse, slamming it hard against two pairs of red slanted glowing lines. My attacker's helmet shattered, the red lines disappearing, and I felt the cracking of bone through my boots. My would-be killer fell to the floor, and instead of screaming, all I heard was them gurgling blood in their mouth. I finally got a good look at who I kicked, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised.  
On the deck in a crumpled heap was a Cerberus soldier, specifically a Phantom, who favored swords and biotic attacks rather than using firearms, but they were usually women. The one that I had crippled was a man, and he reached for his sword, which was right beside him. Before he could grasp it, I pulled out my sidearm and slotted two rounds into his head.  
"Commander," I said through the comm, "the attackers are Cerberus. Repeat: Cerberus forces are on board!"

No one was responding to me on the radio---I didn't even get static. Deciding that the AI wasn't a priority anymore, I raced back to the Nomad to help defend it from more Phantoms. Retracing my steps wasn't all that hard, and soon I was halfway there.  
"264," I heard Versio yell into my radio, her speech mildly garbled, "what's your location?"  
"On my way back," I replied, "what's the situation?"  
"Cerberus troops are at the door, trying to slice their way inside. Rex and the others have been ambushed in the cargo hold. The gravity was switched off, but they're making do with gravity boots."  
"Do they need reinforcements?"  
"Negative---get over here now!"  
I double-timed it, gripping my rifle tight. It was down to me to keep Mani and May safe from Cerberus. Unfortunately, a group of Phantoms was waiting for me. When I rounded the second to last corner, a pack of them pounced on me from the ceiling. One of them sliced my weapon in half on her way down, and with little time to react, I resorted to hand-to-hand. I pulled my combat knife out and parried a strike from one of the assassins, then ducked as another went to chop my head off. She was in mid-swing, leaving her vulnerable for me to make a swift stab in her belly. The Phantom let out a pained scream, dropping her sword and went to put pressure on the new hole in her stomach as her teammates tried to put me down.  
"His legs," one of the assassins said, "go for his legs!"  
One of them did, but I brought up my heavily armored knee right up to his faceplate. There was a loud crack, and blood came spilling out of his nose, which had been shattered. He slammed against the bulkhead--hard--and his neck bent at an unusual angle.  
Versio was growing impatient, screeching in my ear to get back to the ship. The Cerberus troops had almost broken through the door, and there were too many for her to fend off by herself. I didn't reply, being too focused on taking out the last standing Phantom. She swung her blade wildly, desperate to score a hit.  
"Dropkick! We need help with the Spartan!"  
Dropkick? I remembered: that was the callsign of one of the Cerberus agents hunting Mani. It became all clear: somehow he and the other one, Shatter, had found out where we were, attacked a freighter, and used it to lure us in. The situation had gone FUBAR.  
I managed to sink my knife deep into the remaining Phantom's chest. She tried striking me down with her blade, but it was a weak attempt, as she couldn't even lift it above her head. The red lines if her helmet dimmed to black, and with a thud, her body fell to the floor.  
The first Phantom of the group pulled off her mask, blood pooling beneath her as she groaned and took faint gasps.  
The Phantom...was a kid. She looked to be just over 19; her face was smooth with no sign of age. Her mouth was dripping red, as a single tear made its way down her cheek. I continued on my way to the Nomad, but the girl started to beg for my help, her voice cracking. I didn't give her a second look, not willing to take the risk of getting dropped on again. Versio and the others needed my help, and they were more deserving of it than the bleeding assassin.  
As I made that last turn, I heard a guttural roar coming from behind me. I had just enough time to see what was happening before a searing hot pain erupted from my right arm. Looking down, I saw an Omni-blade had lodged itself into my forearm. It belonged to a man as big and as tall as me, and he let out a sinister laugh.  
"Not so invincible now, are ya?"


	21. Chapter 21

With an Omni-blade dug into my arm, I wasn't using my brain as I should've been. My only thought was 'Get it out.'  
Grabbing the Cerberus soldier's arm with my free hand, I hastily yanked the energy weapon out of my forearm, kicking him in the chest as I let out a yell that was mixed with rage and pain. As the soldier stumbled back, bio-foam canisters in my armor immediately filled up the burning hole in my flesh so it wouldn't be injured any further. My HUD showed a graphic of my arm, flashing red where I had been injured, and by whatever luck I had, both my radial and ulnar nerves were unscathed. However, there was still a problem: I couldn't move it. That bastard knew precisely where to strike, severely limiting my combat effectiveness.  
The soldier, who I assumed was the one called 'Dropkick,' had dark blue armor as opposed to the traditional white and gold colors of Cerberus. His gear seemed to be as high tech as mine. He looked at my arm, which had some of my blood leaked on it, and let out another menacing chuckle.  
"For Spartans being described as 'unkillable,' you sure do bleed like everyone else."  
He raised an M-358, making it clear that he intended to use it on me. Two shots from that, and I'd be wasted. Something told me that I wouldn't be able to reach my own sidearm before he could pull the trigger on his.  
"You have something that doesn't belong to you," he growled, "and you're gonna hand it over to me."  
"Not happening," I said through gritted teeth.  
"This isn't negotiable," the soldier said again, "now hand over the egg, or I'll shoot that bucket off your head."  
I guess Mr. Illusive hadn't figured out that the egg had already hatched and Mani was attached to May. Were they only interested in the egg? What would happen if they found out about Mani? Either way, I needed to take down Dropkick--now.  
"You think I'm afraid of dying?"  
Before he could reply, I rushed him, banking on that I'd take him by surprise. I managed to do so, because he didn't move in time to counter my advance, and I rammed right into his chest. We both fell to the ground as I tried to wrestle the Talon out of his hands, but it was difficult with only one functional arm.  
Dropkick managed to get control over it, and placed it on my chest. I rolled off just as he fired, the round piercing the deck above. I launched myself up from the floor, going for the gun one more time. I jabbed the blue agent's face with my left, cracking the side of his helmet. As he reeled back, I grabbed the piece and successfully tore it out of his hands. He slammed into the wall, and I aimed. Dropkick activated his Omni-blade again and leapt towards me, and I instinctively launched myself out of the way, barely avoiding getting stabbed in the neck.  
I sighted down again, but he was quicker than I thought, already making another lunge at me. I found myself rolling backward to avoid getting stabbed in the gut.  
Dropkick was no ordinary man; there was no way he could've had the speed and energy to keep up with me for this long. He must've had some enhancements of some kind.  
"All that dodging," Dropkick yelled, "isn't going to last forever! You're going to slow down sometime!"  
I didn't give in to his taunt and fired the Talon still in my hand, managing to nick his shoulder. He roared then made a charge at me, not even flinching. With his speed, he managed to slam into me and pin me to the ground. Dropkick stood over me, drawing back his blade to finish the job.  
Everything seemed to slow down at that moment. My life didn't flash before my eyes as so many people claimed happened to them, but I felt surprised to see how I might be going out like this. However, before Dropkick could deliver the final blow, a purple glow surrounded him, and he shot down the hallway like a rocket. I rolled to the other side to see my rescuer: Liara T'Soni.  
Looking back towards Dropkick, he stood up and was about to go after Liara, until she brought up a UNSC sub-machine gun and started firing bursts. A few rounds pinged against the agent, and realizing he was at a disadvantage, he turned heel and booked it down the hall.  
"Spartan," Liara yelled, "are you alright?"  
I used my free arm to hoist myself up by using the wall, and there she got a good look at what had happened to me.  
"I'm fine," I groaned, clutching my wound, "what about everyone else?"  
"Cerberus is pulling back. Sam's gonna make a quick run for the AI, then we're getting out of here."  
"Good," I said, then turned off my helmet's audio speakers so I could let out a quick grunt. The pain was getting worse, and I couldn't even bend all of my fingers. I needed Lexi's help to get my arm healed.  
Turning my speakers back on, "Liara, was that Dropkick?"  
"Yes," she replied, "it was."  
I don't like to hold grudges, but I swore to myself right there that the next time I saw Dropkick, it would be my absolute pleasure to kill him.

Liara escorted me back to the Nomad's medbay, where May, Mani, and Lexi were still waiting for the all-clear. At the airlock door were bodies of Cerberus Combat Engineers, crumbled on the floor and full of bullet wounds. Taking notice that the wounds corresponded with the standard UNSC submachine gun ammunition, it was clear Liara had taken them down without much trouble. I sometimes forgot she had a body count of her own. Soon, Rex and the rest of Saber made it back to the Prowler with Sam clutching an AI chip in one hand.  
We undocked almost immediately, jumping to a random set of coordinates to lose the Cerberus forces. Excluding me, no one else was hurt-- nothing short of a miracle. I was upset with myself that I had let my guard down and underestimating what Cerberus soldiers were capable of. That mistake had almost cost me my life, and I was now more than determined to not let that happen again. I shivered to think of what Chief Mendez, the drill instructor at bootcamp, would’ve done to me if he learned I screwed up; he was the kind of instructor that made damn sure you wouldn’t make the same mistake ever again.  
The moment I walked, blood staining my armor, May took a horrified gasp, almost covering her mouth. Lexi, on the other hand, didn't show that much concern. She looked relieved that it was only a stab wound and not a missing limb or broken bones. Thanks to the bio-foam, half of her job was even done for treating my arm. All she had to do now was to mend my flesh back together and slap a bandage over it. I explained to her how I couldn't move all of my fingers; she pointed out that the foam was making my hand so stiff — comforting to hear that I hadn't lost all mobility.  
As Lexi fixed up the damaged parts in my arm, bent over it like a mechanic tuning up an engine, May looked at me in absolute terror. I think this was the first time she saw one of us get hurt. May saw my scars weeks ago, but seeing me bleed might've been a real wake-up call: I wasn't the unkillable soldier that propaganda had made me out to be.  
"So," Lexi said, "you should be fine by tomorrow. But try not to move it vigorously."  
"Thanks, Lexi," I replied.  
We kept our voices low, trying not to disturb Mani as it slept in a makeshift bassinet made out of a supply crate, a pillow, and a small blanket. It had settled down after we left Constantinople, the alarm having turned off, and everyone had stood down.  
"If you need it," Lexi added, "I've got painkillers that should help."  
I nodded, not wanting to speak more than I had to. I was on what Lexi called 'emotional auto-pilot.' My auto-pilot usually kicked in after coming back from tough assignments--my brain switched over to a state of mind where I couldn't feel any emotion. It happened to be quite handy during multiple campaigns against the Covenant: Arcadia, New Harmony, and Reach. Now that we knew Cerberus could find us, my auto-pilot was in full control, wanting to do anything possible to ensure we wouldn't be dropped on again. May was a little worried about why I wasn't talking, and asked Lexi, "Is he alright? He doesn't look good."  
"He's ok," Lexi told her, "Joe sometimes slips into this...mode. He can't help it; it was drilled into his mind when he went into boot camp."  
"Whoa."  
"He and the rest of the Spartans have this trait. I'd let Joe explain, but he doesn't seem interested."  
Lexi patted me on the shoulder, "Am I right?"  
I nodded, then felt a sharp pinch in my neck as she injected me with the painkiller. A bitter cold spread throughout my body, then faded as the medicine did its job. I could no longer feel the gnawing at my arm, and I got up to leave. I hadn't told Versio that Cerberus thought we still had the egg.  
When I found the Commander, on the bridge, she was in the middle of a heated exchange with someone over the comms.  
"Sir, pardon my insubordination, but you don't have a damn clue what's going on! I need my ship, Admiral! If - no, when - Cerberus goes for the Manaphy again, I want the 501st ready to deal with them!"  
"You have four Spartans, Commander," the other voice reprimanded, "they should be enough to handle any more surprises. My order still stands: the Nomad will go radio silent until you found all the data on this Manaphy species. Once you've completed that, return to Phi Station, where the xenobiology team will take over."  
"Oh, now you involve them," Versio scoffed, "this whole mess could've been avoided..."  
"Enough! Proceed to the rendezvous coordinates for resupply, then continue gathering information. Admiral Kirkland, signing off."  
Versio pounded a fist on the console, letting out a frustrated growl, slumped into the pilot's chair, placing her face in her palms, then took steady breaths to calm herself down. This was a side of Versio that she rarely permitted to be seen: confused, desperate, and overall hopeless.  
"We can't do this alone," she whispered, "not again. Please, don't make me live through that again."  
It was an inopportune time to talk to Versio. I backed away from the door, silent as a ghost, and headed down towards the bunks. After seeing there wasn’t anything to do there, I sat down on my bunk and stared at the wall, not really having a strong feeling. There wasn’t really anything I did other than sitting there like an empty husk for what seemed like a long time. My attention would flash towards the door every time someone came in, then turned back into a mindless body. I thought about getting some rest, but the mattress didn’t provide any comfort. It didn’t offer the sweet temptations of sleep, but instead it proved to be uncomfortable against my body, forcing me to stand up and roam the ship. I paced back and forth between engineering, the mess hall, the armory, and the bunks, more than a couple of times - ten to be exact. Each time I would pass the med bay, but paid no attention to what was going on in there, since it had little to do with me.  
The eleventh time I walked by the med bay, May came out of the door, blocking my path like she did with the Cerberus convoy weeks ago. Not wanting to flatten her, I stopped, and the two of us stared back at the other.  
“I’m fine,” I said monotone, having a hunch she was worried about my mental well being.  
"I know," May replied, "but your footsteps are gonna wake up Mani."  
She was concerned, but not for me. May's mama instincts had now taken hold of her completely. Nothing mattered anymore except Mani's well being. I was willing to bet that she would take a bullet for Mani if she had to. The kid was becoming braver every day.  
"Sorry," I whispered, "I'll stop."  
"Lexi and I are watching a show with the volume off," May offered, "if you wanna come watch with us. We're reading the subtitles."  
I ended up taking that offer, and sat in the med bay watching a mystery series with both May and Lexi. We watched three episodes, each being forty-five minutes long, and I actually became interested in the plots. I eventually got reconnected with my emotions, but I then dozed off right when the villain for the third episode was about to be revealed. Lexi and May left me sleeping, seeing as though I had an inconvenient day.  
I woke up to find something grabbing my leg. Looking down, I saw it was Mani, who whined as it looked at me with those big blue eyes. Lexi and May were gone, probably to watch the show with the volume on somewhere else, leaving me alone with Mani. It looked frightened, looking for comfort from the closest person it saw.  
Scooping it up with my left hand, I placed Mani close to me, rubbing its head to show that everything was alright. Mani wrapped its flippers around my hand, pulling it close to its face, trying to hide.  
"Are you scared?" I asked, knowing that I wouldn't be getting an answer. Wanting to comfort it, I wrapped my arms around Mani and placed it on my lap.  
"It's okay, little one; I'll protect you. Nothing's going to hurt you while I'm around."


	22. Chapter 22

A military freighter was waiting for us at the rendezvous point, which was in the middle of nowhere. Once we docked with it, crewmembers immediately began loading supplies, ammunition, and weapons. From the crates, I noticed that we got more rifles, as well as a rocket launcher, three grenade launchers, two railguns, four light machine guns, replacement parts for MJOLNIR armor systems, a Warrior-class set of MJOLNIR, and one Spartan Laser. What we lacked in numbers, the UNSC made up for in firepower.  
The freighter crew also took the AI that Sam had saved from the Constantinople, seeing as we wouldn't need it. It was a 'dumb' AI, meaning it could only perform a limited number of tasks. A little better than VIs, but way below the standard of 'smart' AIs.  
In addition to the firearms, we received armor maintenance equipment to keep our MJOLNIR in top shape; we wouldn't have any technicians around to do the dirty work.  
Once the supplies and ordinance were loaded, we made our way towards another forgotten planet deep in the outer reaches of asari space. We were careful not to run into any more traps by Cerberus, but there wasn't any need. In fact, the freighter would be the last contact with anyone for a couple of weeks.  
Our next destination was 'Uvorni,' a planet that was roughly over 93% ocean, with the remaining 7% being land that was scattered all across the surface. From the data we recovered at the arcology, Uvorni was teeming with aquatic life: fish, marine mammals, shellfish, plant life, and most abundantly, coral reefs.  
Versio set us down on an atoll that was big enough for the Nomad to land. In the center was a lagoon, which didn't seem too deep. The atoll was big enough that we could run laps around it. If we wanted to, we could've set up camp with a bonfire. The reason we landed on the tiny piece of land was so everyone could ease the tension this mission was causing. Rex, Versio, and even Lexi were starting to let the stress get to them. The good asari doctor decided that everyone needed a boost in morale by taking some free time on Uvorni, which so happened to be a planet of a thousand beaches. The air was breathable, and the temperature was warm and inviting. Versio, taking the stick out of her ass for once, gave us the order to have a free day.  
Lexi was now near the lagoon, soaking up the sun's rays with a cold bottle of some asari tea she didn't let anyone else have. She was stripped down to a tank top and shorts, which was weird since I've only seen her wearing her medical uniform.  
Being stuck on board the ship for weeks, May was more than ready to breathe some fresh air. Dressed in a swimsuit she had packed for her journey, May bounded down the rampway with Mani right behind her. It then slowed down as it was a few centimeters away from the sand, not sure what to think of it.  
"Come on," she encouraged, "you can do it!"  
Liara, who wore a t-shirt and shorts that the original crew had left behind, waited at the top for Mani to take the first step. Before too long, it waddled onto the sand, dragging its long flippers behind it.  
"Yay," May praised, giving it a good-job-clap, "you did it!"  
"Happy," Mani squealed, flapping its flippers wildly, running in circles, "happy!"  
It seemed like everyone was having a great time already...except for us Spartans. We didn't know how to enjoy a day at the beach; the only beaches we've been on were the ones back in boot camp, and it was far from relaxing. So, the four of us just sat around the lagoon shore in our body-suits, letting our feet soak at the water's edge as we stared off at the horizon. For me, I couldn't get over how peaceful this place sounded--it was quiet, and the waves landing against the sand was gentle. The expanse of the blue sea was calming and beautiful. I never got to appreciate the views throughout my life, but I was sure glad I had the chance to admire this one.  
May tiptoed into the water, sucking in air through her teeth as her skin made contact with the cold water and waded in until the water touched her thighs.  
"Water's a little chilly," she said out loud, "but it's refreshing!"  
Mani dove right into the lagoon, swimming near the shore, letting out joyful squeals and saying, "Mana, Mana!"  
May tread through the water to get close to Mani, making sure it was okay. It then swam up to her, reaching for May.  
"Spartans?"  
We turned around to see Liara, holding a datapad.  
"Hey, Liara," Paul said, "what’cha got there?"  
Ignoring him, Liara kneeled in front of us and pulled up a topical map on the datapad. She pointed at a specific point where the map indicated that there was a steep drop.  
"This is where the ruins are located," Liara pointed out, "in a crater on the ocean floor. Only you four can reach that depth; your MJOLNIR will allow you to dive to the Forerunner site."  
It made sense that we should be the ones to take the plunge - our armor was equipped to fight in any atmosphere known in the galaxy. Each one of us had systems in our helmets that could recycle air. But there was one question I had to ask.  
"How will we get back up?"  
Liara gave me a confused look, not understanding what I was asking.  
"With your thrusters? I thought the Gen 2 systems had been upgraded."  
It was true, our armor had been rigged with propulsion systems, but they only worked in short bursts. The only time the thrusters stayed on was when we needed extra speed while running. Though I never tested them while underwater, I didn't feel all that confident that they'd have enough power to get back to the surface. The only alternative was swimming, but that was going to be near impossible since our armor weighed nearly 1,000 pounds.  
"That complicates our current situation," Liara said, "what are we going to do?"  
When all hopes of going to the bottom of the sea seemed lost, Sam said, "We've got some rappel cables. I bet there's enough that we can lower one of us down to the ruins."  
"And where did you find those?" Bryn asked, seeing if he was kidding or not.  
"One of the maintenance hatches near Engineering. Some of the freighter crew placed three boxes of them into the hatches. There's gotta be at least three kilometers worth."  
In the background, I could hear May and Mani laughing.  
"Come on, guys," May called to us, "the water is perfect!"  
Bryn sauntered off towards the lagoon, more interested in winding down than figuring out this elaborate plan Liara and Sam were cooking up. If Sam was right, then someone needed to volunteer to go down there. I didn't like the idea of sending one of my team alone; if there was going to be any serious risk, then at least it should be me - their leader. But before I could volunteer myself, Paul beat me to it.  
"I'll take the plunge," he said, then looked towards me, "if that's alright with you, sir."  
"Granted," I nodded to him, "prep your gear."  
He jogged towards the Nomad without hesitation, seemingly eager to explore the structures at the bottom of the ocean.

Early the next morning, after sleeping on the beach, we all piled back into the Nomad and shot off towards the underwater ruins. Bryn and I secured the tow cable onto some handles that were located on the loading ramp while Paul suited up and armed himself; there was a good chance that Paul wouldn’t be welcome down there, so packing some heat wouldn’t hurt.  
Versio piloted the Nomad almost right above the Forerunner ruins with the loading ramp down. Paul stood on the edge, a cable wrapped around his waist as he peered down into the sea. He had a tight grip on one of the landing struts so that he wouldn’t fall off the ship as the Commander swayed the Nomad back and forth to get into position. The morning winds were blowing -- hard, making it difficult for Versio to place the prowler directly over the target.  
“Mind keeping her steady, ma’am?” Paul asked over the radio.  
Versio let out a frustrated sigh then replied, “Doing what I can, Spartan.”  
Bryn and I were out on the platform too, making sure that the line would stay secure and to help pull Paul out of the sea when the time came. It was a little nauseating to be outside when the Nomad went to-and-fro; Bryn raised a hand to her forehead, looking about ready to puke her guts out onto the deck. Good thing she was wearing a helmet.  
“Hanging in there?” I asked.  
She simply gave me a dismissive wave, not wanting to draw any more attention to her sickness. This was the first time in a while that I’ve seen a Spartan get sick -- we rarely did, thanks to the enhancements. Guess the doctors and scientists didn’t count on motion sickness.  
At once, the prowler steadied itself, giving some relief for Bryn. I pulled on the rappel line, making certain that they were secured. After a few quick tugs, I let Paul know he was strapped and ready to make the dive. He nodded and radioed Versio.  
"Commander, Saber-Two is ready for the descent."  
"Solid copy," Versio strained, trying to keep the Nomad from being tossed around again, "we're waiting for T'Soni to get up on the bridge. She wants to watch your helmet cam footage for ‘research’ purposes.”  
“It’ll take me some time to reach the bottom,” Paul responded, “it’s not like I’ll see anything interesting on my way down.”  
A few moments passed before Versio responded with, “Saber-2, the light is green. Begin your dive.”  
“Wilco -- Saber-2 commencing dive.”  
Paul took a few steps back, then took a running leap off the landing ramp, disappearing out of view. The rappel lines slithered, but then tightened and slowly started to inch their way off in the direction Paul had gone. I slowly crept my way to peer down and saw no trace of him, save it be for a patch of disturbed water.  
“Oh boy,” Bryn mumbled, “permission to head back inside, sir? Think I’m about to yarf in my helmet.”  
I nodded, “Go ahead, I got it handled from here.”  
I continued staring at the waves while Bryn went for the door to, most likely, get some meds from Lexi to help her nausea. I had barely turned my attention to the waves below when Bryn let out a startled yell.  
“Shit -- Mani!”  
I looked behind just in time to see Mani scampering towards the edge of the ramp as fast as it could. I dropped to one knee and scooped it up in one arm before Mani had the chance to fling itself off the platform. Mani wriggled, trying to free itself from my grasp. Judging by the look on its face, Mani had an overwhelming desire to get into the ocean, almost primal.  
“What are you doing?” I asked it even though I wouldn’t get an answer. Bryn made her way back towards me, holding out her arms to take it. Mani was now squirming viciously and shot a spray of water like a firehose from its mouth. I placed my other hand over it to stop, but at that moment the Nomad was hit by an unexpected gust of wind, causing the whole ship to lurch. I lost my footing, and the next thing I knew Mani and I plummeted towards the water. I didn't have time to reorient myself before I hit the surface, and it felt like getting run over by a Warthog. The wind escaped from my lungs and for a few moments I couldn’t breathe, but then I took in a long gasp and proceeded to have a coughing fit.  
“Joe,” Bryn barked over the comms, “Joe, you in one piece?!”  
I started to sink delicately, and Mani popped free out of my arm and swam laps around me.  
“Saber,” Versio said, “what the hell happened?”  
“Saber-1 and Mani are overboard,” Bryn replied.  
“What’s their status?”  
“Fine,” I wheezed, “we’re both fine. But it looks like we’ve got a problem.”  
“No shit,” Bryn remarked.  
Mani floated towards me placing a flipper on my visor, tilting its head to the side. It then started to flap its arms furiously, and I heard a muffled, “Mana! Mana!”  
I repositioned myself and started to swim back to the surface, motioning for Mani to follow me. Instead, it looked around, searching back and forth.  
"Mama?"  
I tried getting Mani’s attention by furiously waving my hands, irked that it had caused both of us to plummet into the sea.  
“Mani,” I said, getting more frustrated, “Mani. For crying out loud...”  
I got some relief when Mani turned its head back towards me, smiled as it watched me flail my arms, and swam up to me. Once it was near my visor, Mani then copied me, hovering around me while doing so. I pointed a finger up then began to pump my legs and started making my way back. Mani then shot right above me, shaking its head at me.  
I stopped, and impatiently shouted, “What?!”  
“Mana,” it replied, “Mana, Manaphy.”  
Before I could stop it, Mani quickly started to go below once again, not giving any attention to me as I called it back.  
“No-no-no, Mani! Mani, come back!”  
It then started following Paul’s rappel line, which led to the dark depths under my feet. Was it trying to save him? Was that why it tried to go off on its own.  
“Paul heads up,” I warned, “Mani’s on its way to you. Grab it before it slips past you.”  
“It’s already here,” he replied calmly, “and it's pointing down...towards the Forerunner structure.”  
“Joe,” Liara said through the radio, “I think Mani senses the building. This might be the connection we’re looking for, so...what?”  
I could hear May in the background, pleading with Liara to do something.  
“Is that okay with Versio? You sure she said yes? Oh alright. Joe, May wants you to protect Mani since you’re already in the water. The commander has cleared you to do so.”  
I didn’t believe that. Something, no pun intended, was fishy.  
“Commander?”  
“Yes,” Versio replied, “Sam and Bryn will figure a way to get all three of you out. Protect Mani.”  
I took one look down, and let out an exasperated sigh; this was not how I was planning to spend the day.  
“Got it. Paul, I’m on my way to you.”


	23. Chapter 23

Managing to grab onto the rappel line, I used it to follow Paul and Mani, who were at least a dozen meters below me. Moving down the rope was slow going -- sluggish even due to the amount of resistance I got from the water. Paul and Mani were moving faster than I was; Mani was made for moving through the water while Paul just let himself sink into the depths, and his landing had been calculated so he’d end up in the right place. If I were to let go and fall, I could end up off target, and that would waste time that we couldn’t afford.  
Below me, I saw a giant shadow, presumably the Forerunner structure. Before long, May got on the radio.  
“Joe,” she asked, “is Mani doing okay?”  
“Ask Paul,” I panted, “it started following him.”  
“Okay...Paul...”  
“Doing just fine,” he assured, “We just reached the bottom, and it’s exploring the seafloor.”  
“Okay...thanks, guys.”  
May sounded a little anxious, most likely because she was the farthest away she had ever been from Mani since it hatched. Now that she saw herself as a mama, she started to behave like one: feeding, washing, and teaching it how to speak.  
“No problem,” I said, sweat dripping down my cheeks, “as long as it’s with one of us, consider it safe.”  
“I will,” May replied with gratitude, “but don’t let it wander off, okay?”  
“We won’t,” I said, reassuring her, “Joe out.”  
I disconnected from the line, not wanting to keep telling May that Paul and I would protect Mani as best we could; it was starting to get on my nerves.  
“Paul,” I said, “please tell me I’m almost down.”  
A moment passed before he said, “Affirmative. I can see you.”  
I peered down and saw Paul’s headlamps as he waved an arm at me, and caught the faint blue figure of Mani swimming around his head. Now that I was close enough to the ground, I could let go of the cable without getting too far off from the target. I released my grip, sending up clouds of sand when I impacted.  
“Welcome to the party,” Paul said, slowly walking towards me. In one of his hands was a sidearm that he packed before jumping off. He handed it to me, seeing as though I didn’t have a weapon. Once I grabbed it, he jerked a thumb behind him, “Forerunner structure’s this way.”  
“Is there any way to get in?”  
Mani swan over to Paul, tapping on his helmet repeatedly. When he turned his head, Mani pointed in the direction Paul had indicated just moments earlier. It seemed excited -- giving us a look that could be interpreted as ‘over-there-guys.’  
“Not yet, but I think Mani might know-how.”  
Paul pointed at Mani then towards the structure. He stuck out two fingers and waved his hand, telling Mani to lead us towards the building. At first, it didn’t understand what Paul was doing with his hands. It then caught on that we wanted it to lead us towards the Forerunner building, swimming towards it and beckoning us to follow. We couldn’t move as fast as Mani, so it would swim a few meters, stop, wait for Paul and me to get closer, then swim out again. This rinse and repeat pattern lasted until we reached the Forerunner ruins. Now at the bottom of the sea, I got a good look at them. These ruins were massive -- real massive. There was a wall that extended far beyond my sight both to the left and the right. It loomed in the distance as a titan, waiting for us it seemed. It almost seemed to beckon us with its flashing lights, which were the standard Forerunner blue. There was something about that place that brought out the cautious side of me.  
“Transmitting visual,” I said, turning on my helmet cam and sending the images back to the Nomad.  
“I’m receiving your footage,” Liara said, “but it’s all distorted. You’ll have to get closer.”  
“Already on it,” I replied.  
“Watch for sea monsters,” May chimed in.  
“May,” Versio rebuked, “if you don’t have anything useful to say, then get off the damn radio.”  
“She’s fine,” Paul said, defending May, “I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any Kraken or giant crabs.”  
“Or sharks,” May continued.  
“Not to mention plesiosaurs,” Liara added, joining in on the fun, “or, wait, what is it called on Earth? The Lake Mess monster?”  
“Loch Ness,” I corrected.  
“No more talking about sea monsters,” Versio barked, “keep heading towards the structure.”  
“Understood,” I replied, “Sabers One, Two, and Mani en route.”  
There was a slope ahead of us, as well as a field of kelp. Crossing it would put us right in front of the structure, and then we-- rather Mani --could find a way inside at least until Mani stopped in its tracks.  
“Mama?” it whined, “Mama...”  
Paul reached out and patted Mani’s head, “It’s okay, it’s okay. We’re right here.”  
Mani then started to weep, sinking to the sand and lying there. It noticed that May was nowhere to be seen and refused to move on. Paul and I attempted to get it moving again by petting it and gently raising it, but Mani made it clear it wasn’t going any further without May. The primal and instinctive urge to get to the structure was now gone.  
“Commander,” I said, “slight snag. Mani’s upset and is refusing to lead us the rest of the way.”  
“Get Mani going,” Versio ordered, “we can’t wait around here all day.”  
“It’s missing its Mama,” Paul explained, “so unless we get May here, I don’t think it’ll be moving anytime soon.”

Paul knelt in front of Mani, stroking its antennae with care as it continued to cry, but it would not calm down. Mani remained a wreck, curled up in the sand and calling for May. Whether we liked it or not, Paul and I weren't going to make much progress if it didn't settle down and get us inside the Forerunner wall. We were trying everything within our power to get Mani moving again, but nothing was working. It was damn frustrating for me to be standing there and being useless; that was one thing I couldn't tolerate. If I wasn't contributing, then all those years of training, witnessing my friends’ deaths, and all the beings I've killed meant nothing. Of course, caring for infants wasn't covered at all in Spartan boot-camp, but I figured from almost a month of being around Mani and watching how May handled it that I could be at least useful in keeping it happy. I was able to make it stop weeping once when it was a day old, but it wasn't because it was missing May. It was crying because it felt scared.  
Paul, however, didn't seem to let his failed attempts in soothing Mani get to him. When one didn't work, he seamlessly went to another method. First, Paul tried waiting it out, then rubbing its head, arms, and antennae. When none of that worked, he got down onto the sand and lay down with it. My helmet-cam was still transmitting, so everyone on the bridge could see what was going on.  
"Is there any way I can help?" May asked, sounding pained. Watching -- and hearing -- Mani cry was pure torture for her since she couldn't do anything to help. She might've been ready to jump ship and swim down if she had the opportunity.  
"Sorry, May," Liara said sympathetically, "but Mani needs to understand that you can't always be around it. I'm sure Joe and Paul will get it calmed down."  
"Yeah," Versio murmured discouragingly but said nothing else. Her lack of faith didn't inspire any real confidence in any of us.  
"I've had a hard time calming Mani down," May said, "but I got the hang of it. If I can do it, so can Joe and Paul."  
"But it only took you ten minutes at the most," I pointed out.  
"Right! You guys will have Mani happy again in no time!"  
Paul and I looked at each other, then Liara came up with a solution.  
"Paul, can you tune your audio output to this channel?"  
"I can," Paul said cautiously, "why?"  
"If Mani can hear our communications, then it can hear May. That might be enough to get it moving again."  
That plan was so simple I let out a frustrated sigh on why we hadn’t thought of that ourselves. Our audio systems weren't broadcasting through our speakers, so to Mani, the two of us were being silent. It was relying on hand gestures from us to understand what we were trying to say. Then again, the dive didn't involve Mani jumping from the Nomad, but Paul and I should've at least had an idea about using the radio.  
"Worth a shot," Versio admitted, "fire it up, Spartan."  
"Copy," Paul responded, placing a finger over where his ear would be and made some small adjustments before he gave a single nod.  
"Broadcasting now," he said, grabbing Mani's attention. It floated up from the sand, tilting its head in front of Paul's visor, hearing his voice for the first time since he dove.  
"Mani," May said sweetly, "can you hear me, Mani?"  
A moment or two passed before Mani wrapped its flippers around Paul's visor squealing and excitedly saying, "Mama! Mama!"  
Mani then started to rub its head in a snuggling fashion across Paul's helmet, which made everyone topside chuckle, seeing Paul getting love. A smile crept over my lips, relieved that Mani wasn't upset any longer. Now we could get inside that Forerunner wall and start looking for evidence.  
"Yes," May said soothingly, "I'm here."  
Paul placed his hands over Mani's body gingerly, slowly pulling it away from his helmet, trying to get it focused back on the mission; we still had to get inside.  
"Come on, Mani, lead the rest of the way to the Forerunner building."  
Paul pointed towards the looming wall, and Mani complied. It swam in front of us, calling out, "Mana. Ma-NA!"  
And with that, we were back on track. Paul and I followed Mani into the forest of kelp,who swam around making sure we didn't get separated. We pushed our way through the tangle until, finally, we were standing at the foot of the wall. The sheer mass of the structure was enough for Paul and me to take a moment and observe the scale of it. Everyone on the bridge saw through my eyes and was speechless. Even Versio remained quiet to gaze at the marvel of Forerunner architecture. We must've watched too long because Mani was trying to get us to move by pulling Paul's hand.  
"Right," Paul said, "let's keep moving."  
We moved parallel along the wall, looking for some way to get inside it. Mani seemed to know where one was, but as we progressed, another snag showed up. Paul ran out of the rappel line. He quickly unfastened himself from the harness, found a nearby rock, and secured the cable around it. Leaving it under a rock wasn't a bright idea, but we had come this far already; a shortage of rappel line wasn't going to be enough to stop the three of us from continuing. Plus, both he and I had an excellent sense of direction and memory. As long as nothing happened to that rappel line, we'd be able to find it again.


	24. Chapter 24

Now that Paul was free to move around, both he and I followed Mani further alongside the Forerunner wall. Mani moved through the water with purpose, following a trail that was invisible to the naked eye. It was a strange feeling letting Mani take point while Paul and I hung back, but it seemed to know where it was going. We had to be getting closer; Mani was getting more excited, placing its head on different parts of the wall searching. It floated up a few meters, just out of my reach, then it swooped back down onto the seabed. Back on the bridge, Liara was more than invested in the action, making commentary of what Mani was doing while making a hypothesis.  
“It could be the pure instinct of how Mani knows exactly where to go. Or maybe it’s like that of asari, how we can share memories, only this time it’s through birth.”  
“Gee Liara,” May said awkwardly, “you really seem to like Forerunners, huh.”  
“I’ve spent the last fifty-three years of my life studying the Forerunners and Protheans. I never thought I would get to see a living being have a direct connection to the Forerunners! Oh, if only I had the equipment I left behind! Do we have any more diving suits?”  
“For the third time, NO,” Versio exclaimed, down to her last nerve, “now stop asking me that and focus on the camera!”  
“My apologies, Commander,” Liara said, “I sometimes get a little enthusiastic when I’m discovering something new about the Forerunners and Protheans. I was hoping that you might suddenly remember that there was a spare environmental suit stored somewhere.”  
“Well, we don’t, so no more asking.”  
Suddenly Mani stopped, pressed its head against the wall, then turned toward us and excitedly pointed at the exact spot on the wall. However, I couldn’t see anything that indicated that it could open. Maybe there was something on the other side?  
“Mana,” it said triumphantly, “Mani!”  
“Good job, buddy,” I said, giving it a generous rub on the head, “can you get us inside?”  
It patted the wall, pointed at me, then patted the wall again. I think I was getting the hint. I walked over to where Mani was, then extended a hand to the specific spot where Mani indicated. As my fingers were about to touch the surface of the wall, a holographic display appeared, which resulted in me drawing back my hand.  
“Liara, are you seeing this?”  
“Yes,” she said enthusiastically, “that must be the switch you need to get inside.”  
“Not meaning to complain,” Paul interjected, “but shouldn’t the entrance be grander, like a huge tunnel or something? Forerunners didn’t do simple and small when it comes to buildings.”  
“You’re correct, Paul,” Liara admitted, “but I’d do what Mani says for now. Go ahead and place your hand over the projection.”  
“Copy,” I replied, “pressing the button to see what it does.”  
I slowly moved my hand back over the Forerunner hologram, and once my fingers intersected with the light, glyphs that I couldn’t understand popped up, then the whole projection vanished. I could feel a massive tremor beneath my feet, seeming to shake the entire sea. Mani seemed to be shocked, and I reached out and wrapped a hand around its body, pulling it close to my chest to protect it. The part of the wall I touched shifted, sections of it pulling back and opening itself to us. A torrent of bubbles flowed outward, enveloping the three of us into what was like a storm, but then subsided. What we stood in front of now was now a long dark passage that went deeper than I could see.  
I turned to Paul, “Grand enough for you now?”  
“Yes, sir,” he replied quietly, observing what might be our entryway into the Forerunner structure.  
I let go of Mani, allowing it to move on its own. It swam forward ways, peered down the tunnel, then quickly came back to me, raising a flipper in the direction of the passage.  
“Mana! Maana!”  
I nodded, acknowledging that it wanted us to move forward.   
“Versio, we’re about to head inside the Forerunner tunnel. Be advised: comms might be spotty for a while, but we’ll try to check in once we’re inside.”  
“Solid copy, Saber-One,” Versio replied, “make sure to record everything you see for T’Soni. Don’t stay in the dark for too long, Versio out.”  
“Lead the way, Mani!” Paul shouted encouragingly.  
Mani smiled and took off as soon as Paul and I stepped inside the tunnel. I activated my helmet’s lamps through the darkness, but there wasn’t much to see other than the distinctive Forerunner metal. While Paul and I followed Mani, who glided through the water like a phantom through the air, I wondered what this structure’s purpose was. The only way to know for sure was to keep going forward. However, nothing too exciting happened during the walk. About ten minutes had passed before Mani stopped, turning around to look at us. When my flashlights were on Mani, I could see that it was resting on an incline.  
“Nomad, are you still there?”  
“Affirmative, but we’ve lost visual,” Versio replied. There was some static on the line, but overall, we were lucky enough to be still able to communicate.  
“We’ve reached what might be a room. There’s a ramp that might take us to the top. We’ll update you if anything changes. Saber-One out.”  
Paul was already making his way up to the surface, while Mani stayed where it was. I began journeying up, and Mani was right behind me. Above, I could see a faint, blue light that went through the water, but grew in intensity with every step I took. I had no idea what we were going to find. I was confident that we’d be one step closer to finishing this investigation and finding out what exactly was important enough about Mani that Cerberus practically went to war over.  
When I came out of the water, I could see we were in a large chamber that was...empty. Disappointment filled my chest, but around my leg was Mani, who pointed down a hallway in front of us.  
“That way?” I asked.  
Mani made a joyful sound, which confirmed that we still had a ways to go. Paul went on ahead, but before I could join, Mani whined a little. When I looked back down, it was extending its arms towards me.  
“Do...do you want up?”  
“Uh...UP!” Mani replied, adding a new word to its slowly increasing vocabulary.  
I bent down and scooped it up with my hand, but as I started to bring it to my chest, it crawled over my shoulder, then wrapped one of its flippers around my neck.  
“Alright,” I said, Mani now looking over my shoulder and clinging to my back, “if that floats your boat.”  
I picked up my pace to catch up with Paul so that we could start looking for answers.

Once we left the empty chamber and went carefully down another hallway, we took things slow and careful. Paul, designated marksman rifle up, swept the area in front with his finger on the trigger. Mani, who clung to my back tightly, was observing the metal walls and floor, trying to find where we needed to go next. Every doorway we passed, Paul would look to Mani, then gesture with his rifle to see if we needed to go down that way. Every time he did that, Mani would shake its head and make a disapproving sound, then we’d continue forward. Every ten minutes, I’d test the communications channel to make sure we could still receive transmissions from Versio.  
“Saber-One, checking in,” I’d say.  
“We read you, Spartan,” would be her reply, “anything new to report?”  
“That’s a negative, ma’am.”  
“Understood.”  
When I passed another doorway, Mani tapped my helmet, grabbing my attention.  
“Mana!”  
I stopped, turned, and spotted one of Mani’s flippers in my peripheral vision. It was pointing towards the entryway we had just passed, making it clear that we needed to head down that way. I whistled to Paul, who had walked a few meters ahead, and motioned for him to form up behind me. He started walking back as I went through the new hallway, hand on my sidearm. There was no evidence that anything alive was roaming around in the Forerunner structure, but I was prepared to unholster it if the need arose.  
“Hey,” Paul said, “you hear that?”  
I listened intently, as did Mani as it held still on my shoulder. At first, nothing seemed to stand out, but then I could hear the faintest rumble. When we went further down, it grew into a roar, and then it turned into thunder. The hall eventually led us to another open chamber, except this one was more, for lack of a better word, fancy. When we exited the hallway, Paul, Mani, and I found ourselves on a glass bridge that hung over a vast chasm, and on our right was a towering waterfall, which was the source of the roaring thunder. At the bottom of the gorge was an artificial river that wound its way around platforms. To our left was a window that went from the top all the way to the bottom. And through that window, we could see schools of fish, long sea-serpents, and a giant whale-like creature. It was as though we were looking at the largest aquarium in the galaxy. I had seen numerous breath-taking scenes, but that chamber alone took the top spot on the list. For a moment, the three of us took in the view, amazed at the Forerunners’ knack for architecture.  
Mani leaned over my shoulder, pointed out towards the sea creatures for me to see. It was saying something, but it took a moment for the audio systems in my helmet to filter out the violent rumbling to understand what it was trying to say.  
“Mani, Mana. Mana-Mani.”  
“Yeah,” I replied with a soft tone, “I see all the fishies swimming.”  
This calm moment was suddenly interrupted as Paul quickly raised his rifle, aiming at the other side of the bridge. I gazed at the other ledge but didn’t see anything that would cause any concerns.  
“Could’ve sworn I saw something,” Paul said cautiously.  
“What’d look like?”  
“Like a giant yellow light.”  
“You sure?”  
“Positive.”  
I knew better than to go against his word, so I switched the pistol’s safety off. We proceeded to move on, but Mani whined, wanting to look at the fish some more.  
“Mana...”  
“We’ll watch them on the way back,” I assured, “promise.”  
That didn’t seem to console it, so I tried something rather unorthodox. I opened up my private files in my helmet and found an audio recording that might take Mani’s mind off the aquarium. But before I played it, I gave everyone topside a heads up.  
“Saber-One to Nomad. Mani’s a little upset, so I’m gonna be playing some music.”  
“Hold it,” Versio barked, “before you do that, are you certain you’re not going to attract unwanted attention?”  
“Seems all clear.”  
“Fine. Proceed.”  
I pressed play, and a loud burst of percussion and chords started to blast out of my speakers. Mani was a fan of power metal because it listened to a lot of songs with Sam back on the Nomad. It would flap its flippers to the shouting lyrics, shake its stubby body to the melodies, and sway its head side-to-side when an instrument would take the lead. The whining stopped, for Mani knew this particular song by heart.  
There was a loud, startled scream from Liara over the radio and a thump, which was immediately followed with boisterous laughter from Rex, Sam, May, Bryn, and even Versio.  
“Maybe next time don’t listen to headphones with the volume jacked up,” Rex managed to say through his chuckling. Sam was still trying to catch his breath while May giggled.  
“What happened?” Paul asked right as we were engulfed in the mist from the waterfall.  
“Liara was listening to the comm channel on headphones,” Versio explained, “with the volume higher than usual. She was trying to hear any background noise, and then you started playing your music--sent her flying out of her chair.”  
It took a decent amount of effort to suppress a laugh, but I couldn’t hold it for long. A long series of chuckles echoed from within my helmet as the energizing beat continued to emit from my speakers. The image of Liara springing up from the chair, then falling onto the deck, was just too much, especially since most of the time she was calm and collected.  
“Sam, please tell me you got that on video.”  
“Yessir! Bridge cams are active.”  
“Show me when we get back.”  
“NOT funny,” Liara growled, a little furious, which was understandable.  
Mani then started to listen to the song, feeling its antenna bump into the back of my neck as it swayed its head back and forth and mimicking the pitch of the singers.  
“There you go, buddy,” I mused.  
“I gotta admit,” May said, “I’m starting to love metal.”  
Bryn exclaimed with pride, “Hell yeah, you’re turning into a real headbanger!”  
May chuckled, “Yeah, I guess I am!”  
“Alright, people, let’s stay focused,” Versio ordered, “keep investigating, Spartans.”  
I turned the volume output down so it wouldn’t telegraph our presence to whatever Paul had seen, but still loud enough that Mani could enjoy it. We reached the other side, which was set up as a three-way intersection.  
“Mani,” I said, “where should we go?”  
Mani pointed straight ahead, but when we approached, a panel came shooting up and cut us off, then the left as well as the right hallways were sealed off quickly. Realizing that this wasn’t a coincidence, I tried getting us out before we became trapped.  
“Move back!”  
Before we could make a break for it, the final panel slammed down, boxing us in.  
“Nomad, we’ve been sealed in,” I reported, “seems like someone knows we’re here.”  
“Stand by, Saber-One,” Versio said, “we’ll have T’Soni...”  
The situation became worse when the communications channel suddenly went dead. No static, just gone. Mani started to get scared, clutching my shoulder tighter. It must’ve known this wasn’t a good sign. It let out a sobbing whine, “Man-ii-ii...”  
I tried prying the door open with my hands, but there wasn’t anywhere to get a decent grip; it was now more of a sturdy wall than a door. There was no denying it: there was no way out. Paul and I stood there as Mani began to have a meltdown, full-on wailing for being in an unknown scenario, which did not improve the situation.  
Paul turned to me, straightening up his stance as he awaited further orders.  
“What do we do now, boss?”  
I gently took hold of Mani and brought it to my chest, then proceeded to lean against the wall and slide down to the ground.  
“We wait.”  
Paul was visibly confused, even if I couldn’t see his face past the visor. He loosened his stance, letting his shoulders drop a fraction.  
“For what?”  
“Whoever was dumb enough to trap us in here,” I growled, “I’ve got a feeling that they’ll show up.”  
Paul hesitated, then sat down across from me, rifle in his lap as Mani refused to settle down. At this point, Paul and I had gotten used to Mani’s crying, but it still grated on our ears after a while.  
“Hey, Mani,” Paul said, reaching inside his pack, “would you like a treat?”  
Mani sniffed, wiping the tears away from its eyes, growing curious. Paul pulled his hand out of his pack, displaying something like he was holding a note for Mani.  
“See? Fruity Banzais! Yummy.”  
Fruity Banzais were a type of gummy candy that was popular among the UNSC territories, as well as some parts of Alliance Space. They also happened to be Paul’s favorite, as well as Sam’s. Paul had to hide them so that Sam wouldn’t eat all of them.  
“How long were you stashing that?”  
“Too long,” Paul admitted, pinching the contents inside to check if they were still chewy. Once he confirmed that the candy was the right texture, he ripped open the wrapper, pouring three multicolored pieces into his palm. He held one out for Mani, but it didn’t seem to want the candy. Most likely because Mani had never even tried candy before, it had mostly eaten berries, fruit, and some fish, but never anything artificially sweet.  
Paul popped one of the other pieces into his mouth, showing Mani that it was supposed to eat it.  
“Mmm. Good!”  
Mani seemed less cautious, but not enough to try a Fruity Banzai. I then motioned for him to throw me a piece, but before he could, the wall blocking the left hallway disappeared, revealing a floating yellow light looking over at us. I raised my sidearm quickly, finger on the trigger, but it was then that I got a better look.  
The yellow light resembled a singular eye that belonged to a globe-like body of metal and steel. The ball was carved with eloquence and craftsmanship. It looked at me and spoke with a male voice.  
“Greetings, I am 649 Solemn Observer, caretaker of Aquatic Research Installation 9-81.”


	25. Chapter 25

Paul brought his weapon up, dropping the candy from his palm. Mani dug its face into my chest plate, afraid of the floating ball-shaped robot that had come, and most likely, trapped us. The AI just stared at us, unaware that he had two weapons trained on his yellow light that resembled an eye. Mani began to cry again, piquing the interest of the robot.  
"As predicted: a manaphy."  
It lowered itself to Mani's eye level, floating gently closer.  
"You must have been born recently. I detect you haven't fully developed your dark energy manipulation."  
Paul fired a round at the ball, but the bullet deflected and caused no damage. It did, however, make Mani even more stressed out, seeing as that was its first encounter with a weapon going off. It cried harder, burying its face into my arm.  
"Man-iii!"  
The robot faced Paul, "Excuse me, but would you please not do that again. Damage to my chassis would be most unpleasant, and you would be distressing the manaphy further."  
Paul took his finger off the trigger, but still aimed his rifle, just in case the sentient bowling ball got any ideas. I rose to my feet, gently bouncing Mani to soothe it while still holding my pistol towards the synthetic. Since Mani was so close, I wouldn't shoot without getting enough of a reason to.  
He listed to one side, "Have I not properly introduced myself? My apologies. I am 649 Solemn Observer, caretaker, and overseer of Aquatic Research Installation 9-81. Now, might I take the manaphy from your possession?"  
Solemn Observer was polite, so I, in turn, gave him my polite reply.  
"No way in hell, Cueball."  
Solemn didn't seem to get why I was so hostile, as he appeared to be shocked.  
"But...but you do not understand what you have!"  
"That's why we're here: to get answers. Is there anything you have on what Ma--I mean what the manaphy is?"  
Solemn Observer floated there a moment, then replied, "Why, yes, I do. I can tell you all I know; I assisted in bringing the manaphy into existence."  
Paul lowered his rifle, "Wait...do, you mean the Forerunners 'created' the manaphy?"  
"That is what I am saying," Solemn answered proudly.  
Paul turned his head towards me, "That explains a lot actually, like why Cerberus wants it so badly."  
"But Liara never mentioned that manaphy was created," I responded, "and if she didn't know, then I doubt Cerberus could've figured it out."  
"Well, they do have their sleeper agents all over the galaxy. Or maybe she did know and didn't bother to tell us about it."  
"No, she was wondering about connections between the Forerunners and Mani. She never specifically said they created the manaphy, just that there was a correlation between the two species."  
As Paul and I argued, Mani continued to cry uncontrollably. It got to the point where I had to stop and focus on calming it down. I continued to bounce it while whispering, "Shhh-shhh-shhh, it's okay. Everything's okay. We'll get you back to May soon, sound good?"  
Solemn floated up to my line of sight, coming in uncomfortably close. It was as though it was attempting to peer through my visor to stare me in the eyes.  
"This 'May' you're referring to. Is that the one who hatched this manaphy's egg?"  
A moment passed, not sure if I wanted to rope May into another situation she had no part in. I had already dragged her in this odyssey for answers; she didn't need to be known by this talking ball. But Paul wasn't thinking about what I was thinking, because he replied, "She's a young human female. Our manaphy imprinted on her when it hatched."  
I shook my head in disappointment; now this Forerunner AI knew about May, but whether it was good or not would be answered later. I wanted to tell Paul to shut it, but it was no use now.  
"Interesting," Solemn said, "and did this female have dark energy manipulation abilities?"  
I ran that through my head, trying to process what he was referring to. It didn't take long to see that Solemn was referring to 'biotics,' the ability to create mass effect fields with the help of element zero nodules. As far as I could tell, May didn't show any biotic potential, so I told him that she didn't have any 'dark-energy' manipulation. This visibly confused Solemn, by the way, he elevated up a few centimeters, almost like he was reeling back in surprise.  
"Strange. The Life Workers designed the eggs to hatch when these 'biotics,' as you call them, are used. Though there were cases of manaphy hatching on their own accord, that happened to 1 in 302 eggs. The embryos inside were somewhat aware of the outside, so perhaps the one you have must've felt safe when the female held the egg in her hands."  
Paul stepped forward, "But why make eggs sensitive to biotics?"  
"The manaphy were meant to be a replacement for the asari," Solemn went on, "when Thessia was in danger of global flooding. Rising sea levels threatened to drown the native population, and of course, as the upholders of the Mantle, my creators were not willing to lose these denizens of the galaxy. They began to create a new species from the asari genetic template, one more adaptable for the foreseen flooding."

Mani finally started to calm down, its cries becoming gentler and less frequent. I took a quick look to see that it had closed its eyes and was breathing rhythmically--fast asleep. I continued to bounce Mani carefully, making sure it didn't wake up. Paul went up to Solemn Witness, eager for more answers.  
"Is there anything else we should know about the manaphy?"  
Paul was trying to figure out what exactly would make Cerberus move heaven and earth to have a manaphy in the first place. From what that Cerberus officer had said back on Sidney-III, they believed Mani to be some sort of key that would grant technological advancement, much like the Prothean ruins on Mars did for humanity. But the officer never did explain what kind of advancement Mani could unlock. Weapons? Ships? Terraforming? The Forerunners left all sorts of gadgets behind when they activated the Halos, so there was no clear idea of what kind of tech Mani could reveal. But maybe this Forerunner Synth, who clearly understood the manaphy species, would shed some light on it for us.  
Solemn spun around, heading back the way it had come and not responding to Paul's question.  
"Follow me, please."  
"Hey, wait!"  
The two of us stood there, hesitant to go after him. There was a feeling deep in my gut, warning me not to follow Solemn further into the Forerunner station. It might've been all the cheap vids that Saber and I have watched about evil robots, but something seemed off about the Forerunner AI. He didn't look or act like a threat, but we'd known him for less than ten minutes.  
"Please," Solemn called out, "follow me."  
Solemn would most likely keep dogging us to walk behind him if we continued to stand there. I wasn't ready to trust him one-hundred percent, but if we were going to find out what exactly Mani was the key to, we had to play along. However, just in case Solemn was scheming something, I whispered orders to Paul.  
"Scrap the bot if he tries anything to screw us over. Aim for his eye--that has to be a weak spot."  
Paul gave a quick nod, "Understood."  
I led the way, rocking Mani in my arm while Paul took the rear. It was a short amount of time to reach Solemn, who was waiting patiently beside a long chasm drop off. I peered down and only saw metal paneling.  
"Step back," Solemn stated, "it would be most unfortunate if the platform decapitated you."  
I reeled back, stepping away right as the platform slid down, covering the hole.  
"Ah, here we are. Please, step on."  
"Where are we going?" I asked cautiously, seeing if Solemn was guiding us to a trap.  
"To the lower levels," he answered rather vaguely.  
"Any particular reason why?"  
"You said you were looking for answers. You want to know what technology the manaphy can activate. You'll receive your answers down there."  
"Why can't you just tell us? It'd save a lot of time."  
Solemn started floating away, "It'll be easier if you see it with your own eyes."  
Solemn slipped into a vent in the ceiling, vanishing. Now that Solemn was acting more suspicious, I grew more confident that something was up. To neutralize any risks to Mani, I motioned Paul towards me, handing it off to him.  
"I'm going down there alone," I told him plainly, "that bot isn't telling us the truth."  
Paul held Mani with a still arm in order not to wake it, but showed visible uneasiness by straightening up.  
"Well, he's got us trapped down here, so I might as well come with you."  
"Try convincing him to raise the block on our radio," I ordered, "while I investigate whatever's down there."  
"And if I can't?"  
I shrugged, "Then wait until I get back."  
Paul nodded, "Wilco. Good luck down there, sir."  
I stepped onto the platform while Paul hollered for Solemn, and descended into the bowels of the research station, ready to face whatever was down there. A giant glass wall appeared behind me, giving me a grand view of the ocean scape. On the seafloor was a forest of kelp-like plants, with thousands of squid, swimming over the tops of the plants like aquatic birds. The glass wall vanished--replaced by cold Forerunner alloy, and the lift stopped. In front of me was a cavernous hallway with floating silver pillars. I started moving forward with my eyes scanning for anything that might be dangerous, but I couldn't find anything that telegraphed that it was about to kill me.  
At the end of the hall stood a podium--probably where I needed to go. Making my way over, I didn't encounter anything too strange. It didn't take me long to reach the podium, and on closer examination, it had a small blue orb of light hovering above it. Going with my gut, I extended a finger slowly towards it. When the tip of my armored finger touched the ball, I felt an overwhelming head rush, making my body feel exponentially heavier. I sunk to my knees, letting out a gasp of air before collapsing to the floor--the world was growing darker by the second, and it wasn't long before I was swallowed up by darkness. I laid there for a few moments before I could see a faint light as if it was at the end of a tunnel. Perhaps this was the light that people saw as they died, a gateway to the afterlife. The flare came closer and closer, and just as the dark had, I was then enveloped in bright white light. Then, mysteriously, I found myself standing on top of a Forerunner balcony, looking outward to the sea, the water a shimmering blanket of diamonds.  
"What...what's going on here?"  
"Greetings," a voice said behind me. I whipped around and found myself face-to-face with a helmeted being I had never seen before. The being wore what appeared to be a tunic, but it had the same look as metal.  
"Who are you?" I asked, wary of what I had in front of me.  
The being stretched out their arms, showing me that they did not mean any harm.  
"I am Vision of Water and Star, the Lifeworker that forged the manaphy. I am a memory of a Forerunner."


	26. Chapter 26

I’ve done more incredible things than I could remember: surviving a Covenant siege, deep cover missions in hostile space, and bringing down warships. However, meeting with a Forerunner was something I never thought I would be able to do, not unless I got sent back in time. Yet here I was, staring at one with my own eyes. Both of us stood there on the balcony as the waves overlapped each other. Finally, I snapped out of my silence.  
“You’re a real Forerunner?”  
“In a sense,” he said, “I am not of flesh and bone, but a reconstruction of consciousness. My mind was transferred from my body and set up as a network.”  
“You’re an AI?”  
Vision of Water and Star then turned towards the sea, ignoring my question. If he was an AI, did that mean this place I stood in was a simulation? I was about to ask but was cut off.  
“You wish to know of the manaphy. You have brought one here to this facility so you may find answers. Why?”  
A moment passed before I answered, surprised how he knew what Paul and I came here to do.  
“The manaphy can unlock Forerunner technology. There is a group that would use that tech to secure power for themselves. I want to know what the manaphy can activate and stop those who would misuse it.”  
Vision of Water turned towards me, “And do you plan to acquire what the manaphy gives? Use it to conquer your foes and secure power and influence?”  
“I only want to stop it from being abused,” I said matter-of-factly, “I don’t much care for conquering.”  
The Forerunner turned back towards the sea, pointing a finger outwards. In the direction he pointed, a bridge made up of hard blue light appeared, extending far beyond the horizon and went on for eternity. He began to walk on it but stopped when he took a few steps.  
“Please,” he beckoned, “allow me to give you what you seek.”  
I quickly caught up with him, finally getting to the bottom of this quest for answers. We walked side by side as the water continued to ripple. Something below the waves caught my eye, and when I peered into the sea, a tall and slender figure popped out, levitating itself in front of me. It had long antennae, flipper-like arms, and in its chest was a red gem. On closer examination, it looked somewhat similar to Mani, except it was more grown-up.  
“Is...is this a manaphy?” I asked my guide while continuing to observe the figure.  
“A mature one,” he answered, “yes. I understand that you brought an infant to the research facility.”  
“Yeah, but it knew the way here. It showed us how to get inside.”  
“All of the manaphy were born with access to this facility,” Vision of Water and Star pointed out, “they can find it because of a broadcast generated by the station.”  
“So the manaphy follows the broadcast. Is it like a beacon?”  
“A song would be the best description,” Vision of Water stated.  
The manaphy above sang a five-note tune. The sound was hypnotic and ethereal, but somewhat haunting. The manaphy sang it again, only this time it was in a higher pitch. The song repeated, and listening to it the second time; the song was more of a siren’s call that had lured Mani down here in the first place.  
“Why do you have this ‘song’ playing?”  
“It was to ensure any manaphy would find their way to this facility,” Vision of Water said, “and reside here. After Thessia was spared the global flooding, I thought it best to have this planet become their homeworld so that they may rise to be a great civilization. They were excellent additions to the galaxy---to the Mantle!”  
Despite all this information I was getting, this wasn’t at all related to the tech Mani could unlock. Adding to that, I had no idea how much time had passed from when I fell unconscious. Paul would have convinced Solemn to allow him to contact Versio, or maybe my body had already rotted away. Either way, I wanted to get this conversation over.  
“Listen,” I started, “I don’t have much time...”  
“There is no need to worry,” Vision replied, “all will be explained. Walk with me.”  
I continued to do so, and after a few feet, small planets started to rise from the sea, each one a variation of the color blue. They began to follow us as Vision began explaining.  
“Before the Halo Array was activated, we reached a consensus: our time in the galaxy was over. The war with the Prothean Empire had left a major imbalance in the galaxy, which was not tolerable for us. We were the holders of the Mantle, the general protection, and the well-being of the galaxy. Allowing the war to drag on for centuries proved we were no longer fit to maintain order and peace in the galaxy.”  
Vision turned around, facing me, “The Librarian had decided that humanity would eventually take their place as the holders of the Mantle, which is why we redubbed your species Reclaimers. But who would protect the galaxy before the Reclaimers were developed enough?”  
The connection in my mind was instantaneous, and I blurted out, “The manaphy!”  
“Correct. We had created them, which made the manaphy the most logical choice. Seeing as they were no longer needed to prolong the asari existence, I saw it fit to give the manaphy this task of watching over the galaxy until the Reclaimers were ready.”  
It was sort of humbling to hear that humanity was chosen by the Forerunners, despite the other galactic races having more history with the Forerunner and Prothean technologies. But this brought up a grim question: where were the other manaphy? Why were they cast-off as only legends in asari culture? I asked Vision, “So what happened?”   
“After the Halos were fired and all life was reseeded, the manaphy excelled as keepers of the peace. Alas, they realized that the Mantle would be taken away from them. I feared that they would destroy humanity to keep their duty, but instead, they made preparations for the upcoming change of the guard and then moved to the planet you referred to as Sidney-III. There was more on why they decided to forsake the Mantle, but I, still to this day, have never figured out the real reason.”  
“What preparations did they exactly make?”  
“On Installation 02,” Vision stated, “you will find a map. This map can not be found without the use of the manaphy. It has the location of all Forerunner technology in the galaxy.”

At long last, I finally knew why Cerberus had attacked the research outpost on Sidney-III, why they were willing to risk open war with the UNSC, and why two of the Illusive Man’s best agents were out hunting for us. Not only had the manaphy been created by the Forerunners, but they managed to create a map that led to Forerunner technology across the galaxy. If anybody could get their hands on it, then they’d become the dominant force. My purpose---the team’s mission ---became clear: we could not allow Mani or the map to fall in the Illusive Man’s hands. The damage they could bring with Forerunner technology would be catastrophic if not apocalyptic. The Asari Republics, Swords of Sanghelios, Turian Hierarchy, Salarian Union, Systems Alliance, and UNSC would be powerless to oppose them.  
“If a manaphy is the key to finding this map,” I asked, “does that mean more of them are out there?”  
Vision of Water and Star somberly replied, “I am afraid I do not know the answer. The egg you found would imply that there was at least one still alive, but it would seem they are not active, given the infant is the only one seen for a millennium.”  
“Is there anything else I need to know about the manaphy?”  
Vision locked his gaze with mine, “It can do Heart Swap, but it is too young to learn this ability.”  
“Heart Swap?”  
“The power to switch the souls of two individuals. One’s soul will inherit the other’s body. Now, you will find the map on Installation 02. The Monitor who oversees it will aid you. Stop those who plan to use our gifts for destruction, or the galaxy will fall into a state of chaos and unbalance. I have faith that you will guide the infant and its mother to safety.”  
Vision placed a hand on my visor, and the same blinding light swallowed me. My mind floated into a state of vertigo before I snapped right back into reality. I woke up on the floor, taking a big breath from my mouth, and a familiar blue body came in close to me, then started squeezing against my faceplate.  
“Mana!”  
I rubbed a hand on Mani’s head, then pushed myself off the metal floor. I could see that a few meters ahead of me were Paul and Solemn Witness, both heading my way quickly. Paul must’ve followed me down after I blacked out. Hopefully, he convinced Solemn to lift the block on the communications.  
“What happened?” Paul asked.  
I plucked Mani from the ground, “My mind was ‘transferred’ to a simulated world and met the Forerunner who created the manaphy. He told me that Mani is the key to a map for every piece of Forerunner tech in the galaxy.”  
Paul raised his shoulders, “Whoa.”  
Solemn Witness floated in front of me, coming uncomfortably close.  
“Human, have you found what you were looking for?”  
I nodded, “I did, Solemn. That Forerunner told me everything I needed to know.”  
“Splendid. Vision of Water and Star has set you on the path. The Monitor of Installation-02 is 007 Contrite Witness. She will be of great help in retrieving the map.”  
Paul brushed past Solemn, needing to tell me something.  
I asked, “Did you raise the Nomad?”  
“Affirmative, but there’s a problem.”  
I braced myself for the bad news. It couldn’t have been that bad, I thought to myself.  
“Two corvettes have engaged each other near the Nomad’s position. One confirmed to belong to Jul’Mdama’s Covenant, and the other most likely belongs to the Death Covenant.”  
When the original Covenant broke apart, several remnant factions raced to put themselves into power. Jul’Mdama, a Sangheili, had rallied enough forces to be a significant threat. Still, currently, Mdama’s main focus was taking down one of his greatest rivals: Koha’Tahom, the leader of the Death Covenant.  
Koha’Tahom, from what I’ve heard, was a shipmaster when the Prophets replaced the Elites with the Brutes, which caused a bloody conflict called the Great Schism. Tahom managed to hold his own against the Brutes before taking his ship and fleeing to the Terminus Systems. UNSC Brass believed him to be dead, but two years ago, there were reports of Elites clad in Ascetic combat harnesses terrorizing independent colonies. ONI agents were able to confirm Tahom had not only survived but became obsessed about ‘regaining’ the favor of the gods. To put it mildly, Tahom and all who followed him became obsessed with death and pain. Scars marked their bodies, killing the unworthy and faithless, were essential to please their deities. Calling them sadistic was a grave understatement.  
“Versio activated the stealth systems and pulled out. She and Rex are working on a plan to swing back in and pick us up, but it’s not looking good.”  
Without the Nomad, we were now trapped in the research facility. Not only had we lost our way, but now two corvettes were slugging it out above. Whoever won that fight would go after the Nomad next, and our ship didn’t have the firepower to go one-on-one with a corvette. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up yet.  
“What are our options?”  
Paul shook his head in resignation.  
“Not seeing any, boss. Unless Mani is WAY stronger than it looks, then we’re not going to reach the surface anytime soon.”  
“I could be of assistance, human,” Solemn offered.  
Paul and I stared at the Forerunner synth, with Mani trying to mimic us.  
“How?”  
“I can translocate across the planet almost instantaneously. I could do that with you and place you on your vessel.”  
Paul was skeptical over that plan; the way he raised his hand told me all I needed to know.  
“Hang on: do you even know which ship is ours?”  
“Yes,” Solemn answered, “at least I am confident.”  
Paul looked at me and pointed at Solemn, “We’re going to let this bot zap us back up?”  
I had my doubts as well. Even if Solemn could get us back to the Nomad, did he even know about the ship’s layout? There was a high chance we could end up in engineering---literally. Then again, what were our other options?  
“I don’t like it either, but I don’t have a better plan. Do you?”  
Paul shook his head, “No...”  
“Okay, then. Solemn? Mind helping us out?”  
“Certainly. Translocating you now. You might feel some slight discomfort. Be well.”  
Yellow rings shot up from the ground, surrounding me and Paul, followed by a bright yellow flash. A brief moment of vertigo and weightlessness came over me, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. The yellow glow faded, and my eyes filled with the color of...purple. I blinked them a few times, trying to clear the blurriness, but something seemed wrong. There were a lot more flashing lights on the bridge than I remembered, and...was the bridge always this spacious? Why were there alarms going off? Those weren’t the Nomad’s. There were a dozen shadowy figures, but none of them had the body of a human. Then there was a high and shrill voice that let out a terrified scream.  
“Demons!”  
Another voice barked--significantly lower than the first one.  
“Warriors---kill them!”  
My sight cleared, revealing to me that we were not on the Nomad, but rather the bridge of a Covenant vessel. About ten Elites were in there, as well as a small group of Grunts. Every Elite on the bridge either armed their Energy Swords or raised Storm and Plasma rifles. I had just enough time to utter one word before a volley of plasma was unleashed.  
“Shit!”


	27. Chapter 27

As the first shots from the Elites’ rifles launched, I squatted down, rolling backward. Balls of white and blue plasma flew over, missing Mani and me by inches. I sprang back to my feet, unholstered my pistol, flipping the safety off, and taking aim at the closest hostile: a panic-stricken Grunt. He tried running away, dropping a Covenant plasma pistol, and flinging his chitinous arms up in the air. I squeezed the trigger two times, both rounds finding their marks. The first went through the triangular gas tank that provided breathable methane to the little gas-sucker. The second drove right through the skull, sending an eruption of blue splattering onto the deck. As the Grunt crumpled to the ground, I heard Paul’s rifle going off, pop-pop-pop. I swiveled my head to the right and saw him vault over a console for some cover.  
Mani reacted to the loud noises by screaming, not understanding what was going on or why we were shooting. I moved behind a strut as more plasma came my way, splashing against it. Judging from the standardized look of this particular group, we were on a ship that belonged to Jul’Mdama’s Storm Covenant.  
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Commander,” I barked into the comms, “we’ve got a problem! Saber-Two and I are one of the corvettes!”  
I peeked out, just in time to see an Elite making a mad dash to my location. I quickly emptied the magazine, aiming for the head. My rounds bounced off the Elite, hitting the shields that protected the hinge-head. More bullets slammed into him, depleting the last of his shields as they snapped, exposing him for a quick shot to the head. Versio answered, full of shock and confusion.  
“Say again, Saber-One? Both of you are on one of the corvettes?”  
“With Mani, yes, ma’am! Need an immediate exfil!”  
“Affirmative, Saber! Head to the outer hull above the communications center for evac. ETA: five minutes.”  
“Wilco, Saber-One out.”  
The corvettes the Covenant used had a platform the rested above the communications center for maintenance. It was large enough that Versio could bring in the Nomad for a fly-by as Paul and I jumped on board. It would be tight, especially while avoiding fire from the other ship, but that was our best chance.   
I went to fire more rounds, but my pistol clicked when I pulled the trigger--out of ammo. When Paul handed me the sidearm, he didn’t give me any additional magazines.  
“Paul! Need some ammo!”  
“A little busy at the moment,” he shouted before blasting a pair of Grunts who were brave, or stupid, enough to try and flank him. I looked over the corpses and saw a Storm Rifle close to me. I set Mani down for a moment, then somersaulted forward, grabbed the Covenant weapon, then scrambled back behind the strut as the remaining Elites shot where I was less than a second ago.  
“We need to hoof it to the outer hull,” I shouted, picking Mani back up, “do not engage unless necessary!”  
“Copy! Gonna need some covering fire!”  
I was closest to the door, which meant Paul needed some help getting to it in one piece. Once we went through, we’d have to charge through the weapons deck, make it past the main hangar, then climb up to the platform where Versio would meet us.  
“On my mark,” I shouted  
I looked down at Mani, making sure it was still alright before we sprinted. It had its blue eyes shut tight, lip quivering, and flippers were covering its head. Other than that, it looked uninjured. Confident that we were ready, I gave Paul the signal.  
“Mark!”  
I moved away from the safety of the strut, pulled down on the alien-trigger, and a torrent of plasma shot out from my weapon, each bolt going in separate directions. My purpose wasn’t hitting any hostile directly, but rather force them to take cover, buying time for Paul to reach the door without getting fried. However, with Storm Rifles, they were prone to overheat faster than Plasma Rifles. I wouldn’t be able to give Paul cover for long, but that wasn’t a problem; he reached the door before the plasma shooter started to build up too much heat. I even managed to hit a Grunt right in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and shriek as his skin started to burn. The door’s panels slid open, not a moment too soon, and the two of us bolted out of the bridge, leaving behind a lot of pissed off Covies.  
Mani was a wreck, crying its eyes out. All it wanted was to get out of this place and back aboard the Nomad.  
“Hang on, little buddy,” I said, “just a little bit further.”  
Directly behind the bridge was the weapons deck, where gunners operated the controls to powerful plasma cannons. As luck would have it, all the gunners were either dead or missing. The floor was a complete mess: wiring frayed all across the ceiling, plasma venting from random spaces on the wall, and fires that filled the room with smoke and the smell of ozone. We hurried out of there as fast as we could, stepping over fallen walls and bodies of Elites, then entered a hallway that would lead to the main hangar. In my experience fighting aboard Covenant corvettes, that was the one place we did not want to get pinned down in, because it was located in the center of the entire ship, and hostiles could come in from either side. Judging from the smell, it was clear that the hangar was in the same state as the weapons deck. Crushed Phantoms, Banshees, and Spirits were scattered all over, the remains of a once-formidable fighter force. Paul and I went up a staircase, but before we could go any further, a shot from a Covenant Carbine whizzed past Paul’s head. Behind us was the bridge crew, including an Elite in golden armor---the shipmaster. He roared violently, drawing his Energy Sword, which glowed orange at the bottom and cyan at the top. The shipmaster full-on sprinted towards us, in what appeared to be an act of maintaining the zealous honor that governed the Sangheili race. If he allowed us to escape, that would severely damage his reputation in Sangheili society.  
I shouted to Paul, “Move!”  
We ran down the corridor to the communications center, readying our weapons for any survivors that were still there. But we made it halfway before the doors behind us slid open, and the shipmaster came barreling towards us. He was going to catch up to us, so it was now up to me to slow him down.  
“Paul, take Mani!”  
He spread out one of his hands, the other still gripping the rifle. I under-hand tossed Mani, and for a brief moment, it stopped crying as it soared through the air. Just as Paul snatched it, I pivoted around and used my thrusters to charge at the shipmaster. He didn’t expect to see me coming at him like a missle, as he tried too late to counter me. I rammed him with my shoulder, sending the hinge-head sprawling to the floor.  
“Filthy heretic,” the shipmaster growled, “I shall put an end to your evils!”  
I prepared to fire at him at point-blank range, but the shipmaster kicked the rifle out of my hands. I quickly pounced on him, bringing my combat knife out and going for his throat. The shipmaster slammed his hand in my face in an attempt to push me off while swinging his unique energy blade frantically, trying to slice my back, but I drove my elbow up to his face and made him reel. Another quick jab to the chest and I could feel some of his ribs breaking. He coughed up purple blood from his four-mandibled mouth, and made an attempt to shove his blade through my chest. This was his undoing because he thrusted too far, leaving with a narrow but clear opening to sink my knife into his throat.  
“No...” choked the shipmaster, dropping his sword and falling flat onto the deck, my knife sliding out on its own. Flicking off the excess blood, I grabbed the energy sword from off the ground, and saw something written on it in Covenant hieroglyphs. I had no idea what it said, so I deactivated the blade and attached the hilt to my thigh, then sped after Paul. I entered the communications room, then used my thrusters to help me get up to the outer hull. I made it up effortlessly, and the moment I stepped outside, the wind let out a long howl.  
Paul motioned his head back under deck, “Did you get him?”  
I grabbed the Energy Sword handle, then activated the blade, showing off my new trophy. Paul nodded approvingly.  
“Nice. You’re going to let me borrow that once in a while, right?”  
“Get your own,” I panted, then radioed Versio to come pick us up.  
“Sabers One and Two on the outer hull, Commander. Waiting for extraction.”  
“Give me a minute,” she replied, “swung around the wrong one.”  
Out here, I had a clear view of the Death Covenant corvette above us as it rained plasma shots down. The ship’s hull was dyed a darker purple than what the Covenant used. I spotted an incoming plasma shell, slamming into the bridge, and an explosion of hot white and blue fire engulfed the impact area: a direct hit. The deck shuddered under my feet, and the corvette started to list.  
“Commander, corvette’s losing altitude! We need an immediate evac NOW!”  
Paul peered down towards the interior of the ship, and backed away, “Hostiles incoming!”  
One Elite came up from below, his armor smoldering and stained with blood. The wounded Elite held his arm, and seemed not to notice us. Paul aimed his rifle with one hand and fired from the hip, his bullet going straight through the neck. Before the first Elite could hit the ground, more came popping up. I sprinted to the closest one as he got to his feet and slashed his right arm off then stabbed him in the stomach.  
“Saber-One,” Bryn said, “we’re inbound. Are you ready?”  
“More than ready,” I exclaimed, dodging a shot from a plasma pistol, then sliced the head off the Grunt who fired at me, “be advised we are surrounded!”  
“Copy, Rex and I will provide support. Danger close.”  
I cut down another Elite when I heard Paul calling out.  
“Joe! Need some help here!”  
I turned to see Paul on the ground wrestling an Elite Major and trying to shield Mani from getting hurt from the incoming blows. Paul would’ve easily taken down his assailant if he had the use of both of his arms, but since he was, in a way, limited, he didn’t have much of a chance. I rushed over, letting out a yell before I skewered the Major, inserting the twin pronged sword in his underarm, which pierced the lungs and one of his hearts. I rolled the now dead body off of Paul and pulled him up to his feet. More Elites gathered around and began to charge when Rex yelled into the comms.  
“Spartans, get down!”  
Over the rushing of the wind was the familiar whine of a Winter Class Prowler’s engines coming in. The nose cone rose up from behind us, and on the loading platform stood three figures: Rex, Bryn, and Sam. All three of them were in their combat gear, and started firing at the horde in front of us, sending the Split-Lips disappearing in a storm of purple blood and gore. The bodies started to slide to the left---the corvette descended at a steeper angle and was gaining speed. One Elite went soaring into the sky, flailing helplessly.  
“What are you two standing around for?” Rex yelled, “Let’s go-go-go!”  
Versio brought the Nomad as close as she could, but there was still a sizable gap between us. Thankfully, that was the sort of situation the thrusters in our armor were made for. Paul took three steps back, holding Mani tight to his chest, then dashed towards the Prowler, jumping the moment his foot touched the edge of the corvette’s deck. In less than a heartbeat, Paul’s thrusters flashed, propelling him forward until he landed next to Bryn. Rex, having a Magnum in each arm, motioned for me to move.  
“Joe, come on!”  
I deactivated my new sword, then sprinted towards the Nomad, jumping at the last possible second, and jetted onto the ramp, tumbling in the process.  
“Commander,” Rex barked, shooting an Elite that tried coming after us, “Saber Team and Mani secured! Get us outta here!”  
Versio moved us away from the falling corvette, which now nose-dived into the sea. I assumed the explosion was spectacular, but we had no way of observing it. The six of us piled inside the interior and braced ourselves as Versio banked hard left.  
“Shit, we got Death Covie Banshees on our six! Hold on to your helmets!”  
The Nomad banked hard right, sending Rex slamming into the wall. Bryn collided with me, sending us both to the floor in a jumbled mess. On the plus side, Mani was no longer crying; it was laughing, letting out squeals of thrill as Versio pulled another sharp turn. Sam joined in, letting out some ecstatic whoops and boisterous laughs. Bryn, however, did not share Sam’s enthusiasm by telling him to shut up in a coarse way. That was when we heard May yelling, “No swearing around Mani! It doesn’t need to know those kinds of words!”  
Even with our turbulent escape, May practically rushed down to see Mani again.  
“Kid,” Rex called out to her, “hold onto something!”  
I tried getting up from the floor, but Versio pulled another evasive maneuver and I was forced back onto the deck. It might not have felt like it, but Versio was pulling off impressive evasive action to get behind the Banshees. She let out an excited, “I got them now!”  
Loud vibrations, like drums, shook the ship. The Nomad was equipped with two 40mm autocannons, standard issue on UNSC fighters, and Versio fired them in bursts. About five seconds of firing, she let out a cheer, “One down! Come on, you split-lipped bastards, line up for me!”  
More shots from the cannons vibrated the deck, and then Versio began talking to the Death Covie pilot.  
“You think you can take me on? I’ll send your flaming carcasses to the sea!”  
“Aw, great,” Rex sighed, “she’s having fun.”  
“I don’t really like her idea of fun,” May replied.  
More sharp turns and evasive maneuvering was starting to take its toll on me. I began to feel an uneasiness in my stomach, and my head wasn’t feeling too great either. Versio screamed in victory, signaling that she shot down the remaining Banshees.  
“Woo-HOO! That’s how it’s done! I say we’re cleared to leave.”  
May replied to that with a strong, “Yes please!”  
“Hang on tight, people! This is going to be a fast climb!”  
The engines whined in a higher pitch as the Nomad accelerated high into the atmosphere. All of us held on to the closest object as the Commander put the pedal to the metal, out of fear we would slide to the back of the ship, even though artificial gravity was on. Every second seemed like a minute as I laid there, anticipating the moment where more Banshees would intercept us and shoot us down from the sky, putting an end to everything. My body remained clenched until finally, Versio gave the all clear.  
“No signs of pursuit---we’re in the clear.”


	28. Chapter 28

I let out a long sigh, unclenching my body, and sank into the floor. I didn't have time to relax before I felt a boot nudge me in my ribs.  
"You still alive?" Sam jokingly asked.  
"Yeah," I grumbled, "just going to lie here for a minute."  
Sam offered me a hand, then grabbed my arm and hoisted me up to a sitting position. My head grew light, almost weightless, as I looked around me. Bryn pushed herself up from the floor, Rex holstered his sidearms, and May came running down the hall in an anxious display.  
"Mani! Where's Mani?!"  
Paul raised it to the ceiling like a trophy. Mani saw May and began to flap its arms/flippers in excitement.  
"Mama! Mama!"  
May rushed over to Paul as he handed Mani back to her, and she hugged her child tight while swinging back and forth.  
"Oh, Mani, I'm so glad you're okay! You had me worried sick when you left. Don't go running off by yourself again, you hear?"  
"Mani!"  
May then wrapped one of her arms around Paul's waist, squeezing him tight.  
"I'm glad you're safe too, Paul!"  
Paul removed his helmet, one corner of his lip rising. May had warmed up to him despite their rocky meeting back on Sidney-III.  
"Hmph. Thanks, kid," Paul replied, all while ruffling May's hair as though she was a younger sibling.  
May then looked at me, rushed over, and hugged me around the neck.  
"Joe! Thank you so much for keeping Mani safe!"  
"You're welcome, May, but do one thing for me?"  
"Sure! What is it?"  
"Could you not squeeze my neck so tight?"  
"OH! Sorry!"  
It wasn't long until Liara came running up to us with a fire in her eyes, wanting to know everything that happened down in that facility.  
"What did you find? What did you see?"  
"Heh. Let's talk in the galley; this is going to take a while."  
After getting out of my armor, I sat down at the table with Versio and Liara and told them a detailed account of what happened when Paul and I entered the Forerunner research station. I explained how Solemn Witness gave us the quick version of how the manaphy species came to be, then told them about my encounter with Vision of Water and Star. But before I went any further, Versio stopped me in my tracks.  
"Hold it. You're saying you talked with a real Forerunner?"  
"Not exactly," I clarified, "more like a memory or an AI construct of a Forerunner. This...this place I got transported to was all simulation."  
"Yes, okay," Liara said quickly, eager to hear more.  
I was allowed to continue and told them about how the manaphy were meant to act as caretakers until humans would 'reclaim' the Forerunner's role as protectors of the galaxy, but mysteriously retreated to Sidney-III. Versio didn't want to hear about that part of my encounter and wanted me to cut ahead.  
"Did he tell you why someone would want a manaphy?"  
"Yes, ma'am. The manaphy can locate a map that gives the location of Forerunner technology all over the galaxy."  
Versio furrowed her brow, tightened up her shoulders, and shook her head. This news was something she didn't want to hear.  
"You have got to be shitting me."  
Liara stood right up in her seat, threatening to knock the table over as she went wide-eyed. She grasped the sides of her head and sent out a shout.  
"What?!"  
"That's what he told me," I reiterated, "Mani can lead us to all the Forerunner tech in the galaxy. That's why Cerberus wanted the egg."  
"Where is this map?"  
"Someplace called Installation-02."  
Liara jumped, covering her mouth before she let out a squeal of excitement. She removed her hands from her mouth, revealing to have a wide smile across her face. Versio glared at her, not impressed by the asari's more-than-visible delight.  
"In case you forgot, T'Soni, Epsilon Halo is being guarded by the turians. I doubt they're going to let us fly down there!"  
After the Covenant War ended, the Council and its allies, including the UNSC, thought it wise to prevent the activation of the Halo Array. Six rings were currently guarded: Beta, Epsilon, Gamma, Delta, Zeta, and Kappa. Epsilon was under the turian's watchful eyes, having a fleet patrolling the perimeter 24/7.  
"I might have a way in," Liara said excitedly, "one of my clients influences the Hierarchy. I can lean on him to allow us passage."  
Versio shook her head, not willing to take Liara up on that offer.  
"We'd have to contact Admiral Kirkland and tell him what's going on, and he's not going to approve of our diversion to one of the Halos."  
"But he will understand. Commander, we know what Cerberus is up to! Are you willing to take the risk of them gaining all of the Forerunner's machines?"  
"It's not that simple, T'Soni. We have orders to..."  
"We have to go to Installation-02, Commander!"  
"You're not getting the bigger view on this, doctor!"  
"Just give me a few moments to..."   
Versio slammed her fist into the table and let out a fierce, "No!"  
Liara went still and silent in an instant, focusing her full attention on the commander as she told us why we couldn't contact Kirkland.  
"Cerberus is most likely moving heaven and earth to find us, scanning for any UNSC chatter that refers to us, Mani, or even a Prowler. Those two Cerberus bastards we ran into? I am damn sure they're scouring the galaxy for us, and if they even catch the tiniest of hints, they'll zero in on us."  
Liara said with the quietness of a mouse, "You can't know that for certain..."  
"I do! ONI sent me to infiltrate Cerberus and stay there for three years! Three! Do you think what you've seen is bad? I've seen messed up shit that still haunts my dreams!"  
I could hear approaching footsteps, and I quickly got up to intercept whoever was coming over. The steps belonged to Lexi, who wanted to know and stop whatever the screaming was about.  
"Not a good time," I whispered to her, gently trying to steer her away from the mess hall.  
She brushed past me, "Sorry, Joe, but I need to stop this before Versio goes off the handle."  
Not wanting to witness Versio being calmed down, I headed out.  
An hour or so later, I was sitting down on my bunk watching Bryn and May playing with Mani when Versio came into the room. She looked composed as if nothing had happened.  
"Spartan-264, I need you to come with me."  
I got to my feet and followed the commander out into the halls. She was silent and then explained to me why she was hesitant to contact Admiral Kirkland.  
"Back in my spec-ops days, I was assigned to infiltrate Cerberus to find weaknesses that ONI could exploit. I was set up as a traitor and stowed on a prison ship, waiting for Cerberus to grab me. It didn't take them long. I was immediately put to work in one of their military cells."  
"You know how they work?"  
"I know their protocols. My credits are on that they're trying to locate our position thanks to forward operating stations around multiple systems. It's a hell of a theory, but they might be scanning for any radio transmissions that will point them towards us. Now things might've changed since I was last there, but it was an effective way of hunting down targets."  
"So, what's our plan of action?"  
"T'Soni wants to meet with an asari matriarch that’s been to Epsilon Halo, back before the council put sanctions on it. She might be able to help us out. These asari are old-fashioned--they still believe in their goddess and revere the manaphy as sacred, so bringing Mani will go a long way.”  
I saw the benefit of getting more intel, but I felt it would be better if we go in now and get this all sorted and get May back home. Now, it’s not that I didn’t want her with us. In fact, I actually enjoyed being her friend and was going to miss her when she would leave, but she was still in danger. If, by some unlucky coincidence, Cerberus did catch us, they might abduct her and Mani. May was brave, but I didn’t want her to be interrogated by Cerberus agents. I was about to voice my concerns, but Versio cut me off before I had the chance to say anything.  
"If we go now, we'll be stopped by the turian fleet posted there, if they don't shoot us when we slipspace in. I don't like it any better than you, but we have to be cautious here, especially since Mani is the key to achieving technological superiority. Nothing bad about getting more intel, right?"  
Knowing I wasn’t going to change her mind, I nodded.  
"Understood."  
Versio and I wandered back to the bunk room, with her entering first, wanting to tell everyone our next move in person.  
"Listen up, people. We're going to talk with an asari matriarch before we..."  
She stopped and looked down at her ankle. Mani had waddled over to the commander and was looking at her with its big blue eyes. She gazed down at Mani, not sure what to make of it. May was tempted to go in and grab Mani, but she didn't want to appear unprofessional in front of the commander. Versio then got back on track with the briefing.  
"Before we head towards a restricted area. ETA will be eighteen hours, so settle in..."  
Versio looked back down at Mani, who now was smiling at her. The commander slowly bent down and picked it up, which, come to think of it, was her first time having a direct interaction with Mani. She had always distanced herself from May and Mani, turning her attention to getting the mission done as soon as possible. But now she was holding it as if she was seeing it for the first time.  
May's face burned pink of embarrassment for not keeping it by her while the commander was talking.  
"I'm so sorry, Commander Versio! I'll hold onto it next time, I promise!"  
Mani then touched the tip of the commander's nose and repeated her name.  
"Ver-zee-o!"  
The commander went still as we all waited to see how she would react. A few moments passed, then the commander seemed to soften her expression and a small smirk pulled at the corner of her lip. She raised Mani a little higher and did the one thing we all thought she was incapable of doing: giggled.  
"My, you're a smart one, aren't you?"  
In an instant, Versio became a whole different person from the one we had all come to know. She threw Mani up to the ceiling and caught it, then brought it to her side as she finished up with briefing.   
"Spartans, I want you ready the moment we hit planetside."  
May stood up and saluted in order to gain the commander’s respect.  
"Ma'am, per-permission to help this time? I want to be useful and not a waste on the ship."  
Versio nodded to her, amused and somewhat admired of how the girl was attempting to be part of the crew. May wasn’t a soldier, but being around us for a while seemed to have inspired her to try acting like one. Versio returned May’s salute.  
"Permission granted, May. Your job will be to keep Mani from wandering off. Understood?"  
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"  
“Hmph. Good.”  
Versio handed Mani back to May and strode out of the bunkroom with renewed purpose.  
Sam gave May a friendly nudge in the arm, grinning.  
“Nice job, kid. You’ve unlocked Versio’s good side.”  
May blushed and gave her baby a kiss on the head.  
“Actually, I think it was Mani who tamed her heart.”  
The mention of the word ‘heart’ reminded me that Mani had the ability to swap two people’s souls into each other’s bodies, but then I remembered that it wasn’t old enough to learn it. As Bryn scooped Mani up and began tickling it, I thought back on how all of us had our hearts softened by the little manaphy. Maybe it wasn’t that bad for Spartans to develop deep friendships with others outside their team. Sam had a turian girlfriend, and it didn’t distract him from his duty as a soldier. Hell, it might’ve actually made him fight even harder and push himself further. Maybe getting attached to someone and then knowing they were depending on you unlocked a secret power within. If that was the case, then there was a certain quarian on Rannoch that I would need to talk with when this was all over. But for now, I took comfort in watching my team---my family---experience a tender moment that would be etched into our memories forever


	29. Chapter 29

The planet the asari matriarch lived on was called Sederi. Unlike most asari, these still believed that Athame, their goddess, watched over them and that the manaphy were her children. If all went according to plan, this old asari would be more than happy to help us out.  
As we made our approach, Versio asked Paul to take the helm so that she could be there to hear what the matriarch had to say rather than being told second hand. Then, surprisingly, she checked in with May to see if she was okay. It appeared that she now saw May as a person rather than an unwanted civvie. May admitted that it was odd having the commander speak to her, but that it also felt great.  
In the airlock, Sam, Versio, May, and I listened to Liara as she talked about what the plan was. Mani, who was fitted into Rex's rucksack and placed on May's chest, napped. The white noise of the Nomad coming in for a landing was calming enough for it to doze off and muffled Liara's voice.  
"When we land, we should have a Kepesh waiting for us. She'll take us to Matriarch Mato. She knows we're coming, but she probably won't be expecting Mani. Also, don't make eye contact with anyone for more than three seconds."  
Sam chuckled, amused by this strange yet specific rule.  
"Why?"  
"Because it's rude."  
May, raised her hand politely and waited to be called on. I patted her on the shoulder.  
"Go ahead, May."  
"O-Okay. What's a Kepesh?"  
"It's the asari word for a blade," Liara answered, "the soldiers of Sederi are like the ancient samurai."  
"Woah, that's neat! Do they carry swords?"  
"They do. Kepeshs love to practice duels."  
Paul's voice came over the intercom, stirring Mani awake. Luckily, it didn't cry, just whimpered. May bounced the pack with her knees.  
"We're on final approach to Nos Mysus. Docking officials have cleared us to land at Bay-93."  
Versio, decked in her ODST gear (sans the helmet), placed a finger up to her ear.  
"Copy that, Saber-2. Keep the meter running; this shouldn't take too long."  
Sam rolled his shoulders, letting out a long groan.  
"I can not wait to get off this ship for a bit. If we find ourselves some downtime, we should take a good walk."  
"That'd be great," May agreed, "and, oh, I don't know, do some shopping. I'm dying to see some asari stores!"  
She fidgeted with Rex's pack, unhappy with how it felt.  
"Maybe buy an actual carrier...or even a wrap! I bet we could find one that matches with Mani’s color."  
Despite Rex's good intentions, the rucksack wasn't suited for carrying Mani around. Even with all the gear pulled out, it was still too large and awkward for May to move freely. With that in mind, it probably was a good idea to get at least an actual carrier.  
"If we have time after," Versio said hesitantly, "we could stock up on supplies. Perhaps some diving suits for the non-Spartans...and a carrier for May."  
Liara lit up with the idea of joining the next underwater exploration, immediately offering to buy the suits with her credits.  
The deck rumbled beneath our feet, and Paul came over the PA system once again.  
"We're all set here, Commander."  
"Very good. T'Soni, you're on point for this."  
Liara nodded, the airlock doors opening behind her. May hefted the pack up, and nearly toppled from the weight of it alone.  
"Ugh, this is awkward," she said as she walked down the ramp. Once she reached the end, she took one look around and gasped.  
"Oh my..."  
Around us were sprawling skyscrapers, a large lake, and flocks of sky-cars whizzing through the air like organized birds. May's mouth propped open, and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she took in the majestic view.  
"This. Is. WONDERFUL! Look at this place; it's like something from my dreams!"  
May lifted the bag higher so Mani could get a good look too.  
"See, Mani? See all the pretty buildings?"  
"Phy?"  
Mani wasn't entirely as invested as May was, but that didn't seem to bother her one bit. She had fallen in love with this place in an instant, desperately wanting to look around.  
"Oh, if only we had time! We could go to the stores, take a nice walk, try some of the local specials..."  
"Maybe later," I assured her, "depends on if Versio's in a good mood later."  
As we neared a crowded area, May put the flap of the pack over Mani, hiding it from any wandering eyes. To make sure it wouldn’t cry, she whispered to it, then turned back to me.  
"Well, what puts her in a good mood?"  
"When everything goes as planned. As long as nothing bad happens, Versio will be just peachy."  
Sam shook his head, "Pfft. Way to jinx us."  
May turned her attention towards Sam.  
"What does that mean?"  
"Usually, when Joe says nothing can go wrong, it does. My favorite time he jinxed us was when we're dropping behind Covenant lines on. They're not expecting us, he said, we'll slip in unnoticed. Exactly one minute passed, and then our Falcon got shot down."  
"That doesn't count," I growled.  
May let out a nervous chuckle, trying to break the uneasiness she was feeling.  
"So...how many times has it happened?"  
Sam started counting with his fingers, naming every time I 'supposedly' jinxed Saber.  
"Hmm, let me see: Arcadia, New Harmony, that Turian outpost, the SSV-Vagabond, the Babylon, Meridian, Ballast, the Qwib-Qwib, Pascal, Skopje, and most recently H4-11."  
"Oh-yeah-yeah-yeah, like those were my fault."  
"Just saying..."  
"Shut it. That's an order."  
Sam shot-off a silent salute, being a smartass. May laughed, and so did Mani. Before we got any further, Liara looked around feverishly.  
“Wait, wait---our escort isn’t here.”

“And you’re sure she said this platform?”  
“Yes, commander, I’m positive!”  
Liara and Versio argued quietly in order to not to draw too much unwanted attention, which wasn’t going well. Sam and I were pretty noticeable, given that we were in our MJOLNIR. Looking back, it probably wasn’t the wisest decision we’ve made. As more and more travelers of varying species passed us by, the larger the number of eyes I could feel staring at us. Sam stopped a volus trying to take a picture by giving him a hard stare while slowly shaking his head. The volus walked, then ran away.  
“Why are so many people staring at us?” May asked, clutching Mani close to her chest.  
“Well,” I said, “it’s not everyday these civilians see Spartans. Some people think we’re a myth spun up by UNSC brass.”  
“Yeah...I used to think that too. I didn’t think there were people who couldn’t be killed.”  
‘If only you knew,’ I thought to myself, ‘how many of us have fallen.’  
Amongst the rabble, I spotted a single purple hand rise and wave at us. It belonged to a heavily armored asari, maneuvering through the crowds. I nudged Liara.  
“Is that her?”  
Liara looked over, examined the warrior approaching us, then eased the tension that she had been carrying in her shoulders.  
“Yes, that’s our escort, Veroma P’Lavo. She’s the matriarch’s personal bodyguard.”  
The purple asari touched the tips of her fingers together, which formed a triangle, and then touched the top of her forehead. It must’ve been planetary custom to do that, because that was one gesture I didn’t recognize.  
“Doctor T’Soni, my apologies for being late. Matriarch Mato gave me specific instructions to take a longer path.”  
“Why? Is she expecting trouble?”  
“No, Doctor, just being safe. Especially since you were bringing something of high-value. Nos Mysus does have its fair share of ‘unsavory’ citizens.”  
P’Lavo led us out of the docks and to a parked shuttle. Inside sat another armorclad asari, who looked more abrasive. She gave us a venomous sneer as we piled in, bared her teeth, and growled.  
“What does the Matriarch want with humans anyway?”  
P’Lavo made her way to the cockpit, “The Shadow Broker requested that she give Dr. T’Soni information on the Halo ring. The humans are assisting her. ”  
So, the matriarch was a Shadow Broker agent, or at least owed him a favor. Liara must’ve done some heavy pulling to get the galaxy’s largest information dealer to help us out. Maybe she was an agent herself.  
The second asari scoffed and continued to look at us with resentment and disgust.  
“Turians have it as protected as Palaven. No way you’re getting within a lightyear of that place. Besides, you humans have meddled enough with Forerunner technology. Go tell that ‘Master Chief’ of yours to quit messing with them.”  
Sam, Versio, and I stared down the guard. The Master Chief was a hero, but not just to the UNSC, but to all sentient beings in the galaxy. Every man, woman, and child owed him their lives. If it weren’t for him, we’d have all been dead by now. Though I’ve never met the man, I looked to him as an example of what being a Spartan meant. We told May stories of the Chief, how he ultimately saved the human race, stopped an ancient Forerunner from destroying Earth, and so much more.   
My hands balled up into fists, and was about to give that asari a lesson before I was stopped by May. She placed a hand up to me, gave me an I-got-this look, then turned to the badmouth.  
“You know, my friends here are Spartans, like the Master Chief.”  
“So?”  
“Have you heard what the Chief has done? He destroyed a Covenant armada, stopped the firing of the Halos, and killed a Covenant religious leader. My friends and the Chief are unstoppable juggernauts. Do you really want to make them mad?”  
The guard looked at us, and I cracked my knuckles slowly. With each pop, the bad mouthed asari’s tough look gave into pure terror. Sam joined in, visibly balling up his hands into fists while cracking his neck. The guard lost her bravado, and joined P’Lavo in the cockpit.  
We took off and soared through the skylanes, with May looking down at the city below. Liara had the pack in her lap, gently rocking it with her legs so that Mani would stay asleep. May couldn’t peel herself away from the window, too invested in soaking in the splendor. She would quietly praise the beauty of Nos Mysus, mentioning the places that looked the most interesting. There was a loud gasp and pointed down.  
“A bakery! Oh, I could go for a pastry right about now.”  
“Is that your favorite,” I asked.  
“Mm-hm! But...I know we’re on a mission. It’s okay.”  
May was shaping up to be a fine trooper, but she needed some sort of a reward for being this patient. For living on a UNSC warship for over a month, she deserved a reward. I cut my external audio speakers and paged the medical bay through my radio. A few seconds passed by before Lexi answered the line.  
“Everything okay, Joe?”  
“Affirmative, we’re en route to meet the Matriarch. I was wondering if you could do a small favor for me.”  
“I suppose? What do you need?”  
“Go to the nearest bakery and get some pastries.”  
“Really? I didn’t take you for a sweets person.”  
I was about to spin a small lie that I had a sudden craving for them when I was interrupted by Versio. I thought she wasn’t connected to the medbay’s communication channel. She must’ve had all the Nomad’s channels on her headset.  
“If you’re making a pastry run, get me something creamy.”  
May turned away from the window, “Wait, pastries?”  
“Affirmative, May. What do you want?”  
May was hesitant at first, but then said, “I want the local special! Whatever’s the most popular!”  
Sam piped in, breaking my order for silence. Sam loved sugar, loved it so much I’ve seen him eat a whole box of sugar cubes. He’d always swing by the sick bay on the Apache to ‘relieve’ any suckers Dr. Ziegler had stashed. It got to the point where Ziegler had to hide them from him.  
“See if they've got any tiny sponge cakes.”  
Sam turned towards Liara, “Want anything?”  
Liara shook her head, “No, thank you.”  
Lexi gave an irritated sigh, not thrilled doing shopping for pastries. But, to be fair, she hadn’t been doing that much except record research logs on Mani. Getting out of the Nomad wouldn’t hurt her.  
“You all owe me credits for this,” she said, then cut the comms.


	30. Chapter 30

Within the hour, we landed at a large building, the roof and both of the sides were ornate gardens, blossoming with flowers of every color imaginable. At the front stood two asari: one with an elegant headpiece and the other wearing a formal dress. Once the doors to the shuttle opened, they both headed our way with a silky smoothness of dancers.  
Versio squirmed, something triggering her as she watched the incoming asari with a wary eye, reflexively reaching for a sidearm that wasn’t there. Liara caught the suspicion too, raising her shoulders a little. May was hypnotized by the movement, while Sam and I just stared.  
“Greetings,” the headpiece asari squeaked, “and welcome to our humble home. I am Shalia, oldest daughter of Matriarch Mato. This is my sister, Viema.”  
Viema, the one wearing the dress, curtsied, and with a high pitched laugh said, “How do you do?”  
May giggled, and did a tiny curtsy of her own, “Hi there! I am doing quite well.”  
Now I understood why Versio and Liara were on edge. Something seemed fake--artificial--about these two asari. They were uncomfortably friendly, giving it their all to try and sell something. P’Lavo, the bodyguard stepped out of the shuttle.  
“Shalia, Viema. Where is your mother?”  
Viema let out another hysterical laugh, “Didn’t you just hear Shalia? She’s inside waiting to talk with our guests!”  
“Right...shall I accompany you?”  
“NO,” she snapped, “no, that won’t be necessary. In fact, Mother would like you to...to check the roof!”  
P’Lavo nodded carefully, catching on to the realization that something wasn’t right.  
“I understand. Does Matriarch Mato require anything else?”  
“That’ll be all,” Shalia said with a cheap smile.  
The bodyguard walked down a path in the left garden, leaving the five of us alone with the creepy daughters of Mato. They started heading back inside beckoning for us to follow them. Before any of us made a move, Versio pointed at me.  
“Stay out here. Spartan 602 will provide visual from his helmet-cam. Follow us if it hits the fan, understood?”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
Everyone else went inside, the doors slamming behind them. On the corner of my HUD popped up the video coming from Sam’s helmet. He stood behind May, who looked around in awe of the interior of the house.  
“Your home is gorgeous!”  
“Why thank you,” Shalia replied, but then said nothing.   
A short time passed before two armed guards--human guards--stood in front of the main door. Both of them turned their attention on me, making sure their M-6 Predator pistols were in plain view, which didn’t comfort me in any way. I would be pleasantly surprised if somehow that these suspicious circumstances were just a coincidence.  
The sisters lead everyone down a large staircase that seemed to go deep into the ground. The walls had expensive looking art hanging on them with the occasional stone-bust of an asari.  
“I wasn’t aware,” Liara said out loud, “that the Matriarch had...a taste for art.”  
“Mother has always had an appreciation for art,” Viema said, “hurry now, we must not keep her waiting. She is anxiously awaiting your arrival.”  
At the absolute worst time, Mani awoke from the pack, and let out a long yawn, which was loud enough for the daughters of Mato to hear. They both turned in unison, and looked at May with bewilderment.  
“What was that?”  
May laughed, doing her best to act as calm as she could.  
“Oh, sorry--that was me. It was a long flight here; I must have planet-lag.”  
I could feel that everyone one of us internally begged Mani to be quiet and not give itself away, especially in front of these two. Tense seconds ticked by, but the sisters did not ask any further questions and continued to lead everyone to a large door.  
“She’s in here,” Viema said, but had a foreboding tone in her voice.  
The door slid open, and inside lay a darkened room, with screens hanging on the walls. In the center of that room, an old asari, sitting in an exquisite chair, looked up at the doorway, and beckoned the group in.  
“Ah, my daughters! Please, show our guests in.”  
Versio went in first, then Liara, then May, and finally Sam. As Sam stepped into the room, a single, disc-like object came out of the shadows, and then his feed went offline. All I could see was static.  
From the split-second glimpse, I identified what that disc was--a Mjolnir Armor Restraint. These devices were built to short circuit Mjolnir Armor systems if the wearer went rogue and would freeze them in place. Below me, Sam was immobilized and I had to assume Liara and Versio were being dealt with as well. Which meant May and Mani were vulnerable.  
I went to the door, but the two guards raised their pistols and put themselves in front of me. Whoever they were, they were working with those who had set up the trap. The guard on the left got up close, shoving the barrel of his gun near my head. On the outside of it, there was a yellow hologram hovering over the sightlines. The pistol was loaded with armor-piercing rounds--something that would tear through my armor at this range.  
“Don’t move, Spartan! Lay your weapon down!”  
The other guard spoke to a radio on his wrist, alerting whoever was in the basement that they had me.  
“The Spartan up here knows. Advise that you grab the package and evacuate.”  
I was running out of time. I had to get to the basement. Before I could floor the two guards, a pair of shots rang out behind me, and the two guards toppled to the ground. I spun and dropped to one knee, bringing up my own rifle and found myself pointing it at P’Lavo. In her hands was a pistol, the barrel smoking.  
“Hurry,” she called out to me, “I saw a human shuttle on the rear landing pad. Gold and yellow!”  
With those two colors, I identified who had ambushed us: Cerberus. I don’t know how in the ever-living hell they tracked us all the way here or how they knew what we were doing, but I’d figure it out later. I had to warn everyone else back on the Nomad that we’d been compromised.  
“Nomad-Nomad, this is Saber-One! Cerberus is here! They’ve ambushed the shore party! Repeat, shore party has been ambushed by Cerberus.”  
Almost instantly, Bryn got on the line. Her voice was calm and steady.  
“Saber-Three to Saber-One, solid copy. We’re on our way. Status on Mani and May?”  
“Unknown. Moving in to support Commander Versio and the rest of the shore party!”  
I drew my rifle and barked at P’Lavo, then started to sprint into the house.  
“Don’t let that shuttle leave!”  
“Wait! We should circle around and wait at the landing platform!”  
Sam was incapacitated, but there was a chance Versio and Liara were giving the troopers in the basement a hard time. They didn’t send any transmissions over the radio, but cutting off Cerberus' escape might be the best--if not only--thing I could do to help out. P’Lavo had shown that she wasn’t helping out Cerberus like the Matriarch and her daughters were.  
“How long will it take to get there?”  
“Faster than going inside the house! Follow me!”  
P’Lavo dashed to the side yard and I followed close behind. We beat feet over the stone pathways that snaked along the plants and shrubs, dodging the intricate statues that hid around each corner.  
“Saber-Three to Saber-One. Commander Versio is reporting that she and T’Soni are in the middle of a firefight between Cerberus Commandos. Unidentified Agent has taken Rex’s bag.”  
“Is Mani still inside?”  
“Affirmative. We’re closing in fast and ready to intercept if needed.”  
P’Lavo made a sharp right turn, and we found ourselves running down a support bridge that led directly towards the platform. On it rested a Kodiak shuttle with Cerberus colors, along with two sentries. I quickly slotted them with my rifle as we boarded the platform, and P’Lavo made a mad dash to the shuttle’s interior, drawing her sword. She disappeared inside, and two heartbeats later she came back out, crimson smeared on her blade.  
“I’ve neutralized the pilot,” she said, “they’re stuck.”  
“Get ready,” I told her, “but don’t hit the bag.”  
“Why?”  
“It holds an important asset.”  
I positioned myself so I stood halfway between the Kodiak and the door. P’Lavo stood beside me, assuming a warrior’s stance with her sword, and then we waited.  
“Saber-One,” Versio barked over my radio, “A Cerberus heavy’s got Mani! He’s heading for extraction. I need you to cut him off!”  
“Already in position. What’s your status, ma’am?”  
“T’Soni and I are trying to push past some commandos. Saber-Four was hit with an armor restraint but he’s operational again. He’s covering May.”  
The doors slid open, and a squad of assault troopers came running outside. They had no time to react before I gunned them down where they stood. Behind them was a soldier, clad in heavy gray armor, clutching an M-5 Phalanx pistol in one hand. In the other was Rex’s pack, and the flap was still closed. There might’ve been a chance he hadn’t looked inside. Mani was remaining silent, and that got me worried. I could’ve gunned the agent down right there if he didn’t have Mani on him. The risk of it getting hit was too high.   
The heavy let out a disgusted groan, minorly inconvenienced that I was in the way.  
“I was hoping you’d charge right in, Spartan-264,” he said with a chill in his tone.  
“Set the pack on the ground,” I shouted, “and drop your weapon! Get on your knees!”  
Without hesitation, he brought his weapon up and started firing, draining my shields. He wasn’t going to give up without a fight. I stood there and took the hits, then P’Lavo rushed him, going in for the kill. She leaped forward, ready to bring her blade down and cut the Cerberus agent in two, but he ducked, P’Lavo missing by centimeters. He brought his knee up to the asari’s face, kicked her in the stomach, then shot her in the chest three times at point-blank range. As P’Lavo crumbled to the ground, Heavy swung his pistol back at me and started firing, and I rolled forward to close the distance. I brought the butt of my gun down onto the side of his head in an attempt to kill him instantly. However, he was tougher than he looked and simply dropped the pack and wrapped both of his arms around me and pulled me down to the deck, knocking the gun from my grip. He got me on my back and started delivering swift blows to my head, screaming in rage. As one of his fists impacted, I grabbed it and managed to flip him over my head. I sprang to my feet, pinned him to the ground and started slamming my fist into his helmet. He started kicking me, his blows landing in my side, but I kept hammering away until I broke his visor and was able to see his bloodied face and eyes. With one last blow, I broke his nose, but then he grabbed my neck and started to squeeze. Before our struggle continued, a small voice cried out.  
“Mana!”  
Both the heavy and I turned our heads towards the pack. Mani had crawled out of it and was looking at the two of us with its big yellow eyes.  
“No,” the agent said, stunned that Mani was standing there. He must’ve been expecting it to still be in the egg.  
I used that moment, the moment of him being distracted, to bring a powerful jab to his elbow. With a loud snap, the arm bent in a different direction and his grip released from my throat. He did not scream in agony---only let out a tiny gasp of air as his arm folded in on itself. I grabbed Heavy by the collar and pitched him over the edge of the landing pad, and he disappeared.  
There was no time to rest. I grabbed the battle rifle and picked up Mani, placing it on my shoulder as I did back at the Forerunner Outpost.  
“Commander, this is Saber-One. Hostiles neutralized and Mani has been...”  
Mani screamed as I felt it being pulled off from my shoulder. I swung around and got hit in the face with an armored foot. I saw stars and bright flashing lights swarming all over.  
“Mana! MA-NA!”  
I heard a clanging, then was beaten all over with an object. I tried fighting back, but my vision was still distorted. I needed to grab hold of whatever was being used to strike me, but it was more than difficult. There was a vicious shout and was hit in the head with tremendous force. I felt myself stumbling, and then I took one wrong step. There was nothing under my foot, and I started to pitch backward. In a last desperate attempt, I reached out and caught a hold of something---the edge. My vision slowly came back, but one of my eyes was shut. I couldn’t open it, but from what I could see, I had grabbed the landing platform and was dangling off it.  
“Mama! MAMA!!”  
Mani cried out in desperation, trying in vain for May to come and save it. I tried to get back up, but above me stood the agent, breathing heavily as he held Mani in his unbroken arm. Mani tried reaching me--to help me--but it was no use. Tears began to stream down its face and started to cry.  
“You have no idea what you’ve done,” he roared at me, “you have interfered with humanity’s ascension! Ascension to our greatness! Where is the mother? The one who hatched the manaphy?!”  
I remained silent. I was waiting for an opening--a clear shot where I could take him on and hopefully finish him off. This infuriated him, and he brought his foot down onto my head.  
Mani closed its eyes tight. The bulbs that hung off the end of its antennae started to glow in a pink-purple hue and then started to levitate. The agent looked down at it, confused. I felt something grab hold of my chest, and suddenly was launched upward from the edge, over him and Mani. The same color that surrounded Mani engulfed me, as I hung in the air for a moment, then plummeted back down. As I made my descent, I grabbed my rifle and slammed the agent’s head, this time breaking open his helmet and skull. Mani was thrown from the Cerberus operative’s grasp and before it fell off the platform, I snatched it out of the air.  
I started to bounce and comfort it, but Mani was unconscious.  
The door slid open once again, and I brought up my weapon on reflex, but only found myself pointing it at Versio and Liara. They lowered weapons---weapons that they had taken from Cerberus---and scanned the pad. Their eyes fell on P’Lavo’s body, then at my arms. Versio came closer, investigating Mani to make sure it was okay.  
“Status?”  
“Unconscious,” I answered, “but otherwise unharmed. Took out the agent.”  
Versio glanced at the corpse, nodded, then radioed the Nomad for a pickup.  
“What about the matriarch,” I asked.  
“Dead. The ONI operative I reported to ratted us out to Cerberus, and they got to her before we even entered the system.”  
“You certain?”  
She glanced at one of the bodies of the Cerberus soldiers and pointed at him.  
“That’s him right there.”  
Versio made her way inside Cerberus’, then May and Sam exited from the building. May looked to me, her eyes widening as they fell upon Mani.  
“Mani? Mani! NO!”  
She ran at me, tears in her eyes, and grabbed Mani from my arms. She sank to her knees, trying to get Mani to react to something by talking to it and grabbing the flippers.  
“Mani, it’s me! It’s Mama! Mama!”  
When Mani didn’t respond, May started to tremble violently. I quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, about to tell her that it was unconscious, but she slapped away. May stood up, pissed off, and screamed at me.  
“What did you do?! What have you done?!”  
I raised my hands, showing that I wasn’t a threat. I didn’t want to agitate her any further, but that was something I ended up doing anyway.  
“May, it’s okay...”  
“Mani’s gone! My Mani is gone!”  
“May...”  
“You let Mani die!”  
Mani stirred in her arms, stretching itself, then fell back asleep. May let out a sob of joy, rubbing her cheek along its head. However, that moment was short-lived.  
Sam raised his MA5D up to the air, “We’ve got incoming!”  
Coming out of the sky were multiple Cerberus dropships. The doors opened, revealing squads of soldiers. Sam, Liara, Versio, and I took a defensive formation around May and Mani.  
“Nomad,” Versio yelled, “where are you? We’re surrounded by Cerberus!”  
The shuttles hovered above, blowing dust into our faces as the squads of soldiers dropped down. In an instant, we were outnumbered, outgunned, and out of luck. Knowing I wasn’t going to get a good answer, I asked Versio one thing.  
“What’s the plan, Commander?”  
Something hit me in the chest, and everything below my neck froze. I looked down and saw an Armor Restraint had latched onto me. I fell to the ground on my back, and could only feel powerless, something I hadn’t felt since the Covenant-War---since Reach.  
Sam’s second Restraint hit him in the stomach, and he too became stiff. The Cerberus soldiers moved closer, and with both me and Sam out of action, there was only one option left for Liara and Versio. They dropped their weapons and knelt down on the ground with hands in the air. With a fluid motion, Versio and Liara were cuffed, leaving May and Mani alone. A Cerberus sergeant spoke into a radio on his wrist.  
“Team-One to Titus. Hostiles captured, awaiting further orders.”  
I could hear the voice on the soldier’s radio. It belonged to a woman.  
“What of the asset?”  
“It appears that the creature has already been born. A civilian is holding it. What should we do with her?”  
“Kill her.”  
May let out a weak gasp, and the sergeant trained his firearm on her head. I could only watch as May was about to be killed.  
At that moment, Versio attempted to stand back up, but she was struck on the nose by a nearby trooper. There was an audible crack, and she fell back to the deck with a broken nose.  
“Don’t! The manaphy imprinted on her and thinks she’s its mother. You want her alive!”  
The sergeant again was about to pull the trigger, but the female-voice stopped him.  
“Bring them all aboard. Make sure the Spartans are properly subdued.”  
The sergeant pointed to both Sam and me. Our helmets were pried off, and I felt a sharp object being jabbed into my neck. A warmth blanketed my entire body, and the last thing I remembered was noticing the blueness of the sky.

\--END OF PART 1--


End file.
